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Fantasy Vehemen Academy - Academy of Hunters

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ADRIAN SEPTEMBER

Health

Stamina

Magical Energy

Coffee



"My name is not Purple," Purple pouted angrily. The fanciful girl drew herself up to her full height and posed dramatically. "My name is... Violetta Shadowheart!" She looked entirely too proud of her self-introduction, Adrian decided. It was truly amazing how confidently she was able to present herself in public, though with how few people actually remained within the building, the coffee shop barely qualified as 'public'.

Violetta's prideful expression was as quick to vanish as it was to appear, leaving in its wake a dissatisfied frown as the small girl examined Adrian with a penetrating stare. Adrian shifted his weight from one foot to the other in discomfort under her scrutinization. Finally returning her gaze to his face, Violetta shook her head in yet another show of dissatisfaction.

“No, no. Now, I understand how enthusiastic you are to attend the party. But what you are wearing right now is no good, no good at all!" She arbitrarily declared. "We must dress you up! Now, follow me, our long lost demon prince!”

Violetta's intricate dress came to life as she spoke, its long laces rising up as if animated by a mind of their own and wrapping around Adrian's arm, to his growing horror. The tight bonds were unyielding as the pair departed the coffee shop, Violetta in the lead and Adrian dragged along like a piece of luggage. The lunatic now had him in a veritable handcuff, he realized. Well, if nothing else, this confirmed his suspicion that Violetta was not a normal person - Adrian was willing to bet that most people in Lumen couldn't use their clothing to magically bind others.

The duo made for quite the sight as they passed through the streets, though with how quickly they moved, Adrian couldn't gauge the reactions of the people they passed. Hopefully that meant the crowds didn't have time to recognize him either. Given his track record with luck lately, however, it was far more likely that several dozen pedestrians had attained high-definition videos of him and his captor. Adrian sighed hopelessly and resigned himself to being pulled by the arm to whatever destination Violetta had in mind.

Said destination became clear when the girl stepped into a large clothing store. She had mentioned something about Adrian's clothes, hadn't she? It became increasingly obvious that Violetta intended for a full reoutfitting as the two busted throughout the building, her searching through the clothes on display for something that suited her tastes - which, if her own lacy outfit was any indication, would likely not suit Adrian's preferences - and him in tow. In truth, Adrian was in dire need of more clothes and might've appreciated the opportunity to shop had he been accompanied by anyone except for Violetta. As it were, he felt entirely too pressured by her and the hanging threat of the Faciete to pay much attention to shopping.

In the end, Violetta settled on a set of clothes - something white and red, neither of which were colors he particularly preferred - and thrust Adrian bodily into a nearby dressing room. Inside the enclosed space, he held out his companion's chosen outfit and gawked in disbelief. It was worse than anything he'd ever thought possible. Frilled, ostentatious, and downright horrifying, the highly-decorated suit was perhaps even showier than Violetta's dress. She couldn't possibly expect him to wear this gaudy monstrosity, right? No, not only did she expect that, Violetta expected the clothes to actually suit him. Truly a lunatic of the highest order. Adrian was truly astounded that she hadn't been incarcerated at an asylum yet.

Despite his grievances, Adrian changed into the outfit and examined his appearance in the full length mirror within the dressing room. The suit had somehow managed to become even more ridiculous, especially with the addition of the strange, wing-like cloak. Heaving another despondent sigh - it was far from his first of the day and Adrian suspected that it wouldn't be the last either - Adrian equipped the crown jewel of the garish display: a tall, red hat that, while extravagant in its own right, was infinitely simpler in comparison to the suit.

Upon exiting the dressing room and presenting himself despairingly, Violetta - no, Purple, Adrian spitefully renamed her - squealed excitedly and seized him by the hand. Adrian flinched as her grip closed around his still-gloved palm and resumed their journey.

“We must get you a masquerade mask!” Purple made yet another unilateral decision. Adrian, having already surpassed his capability to care, took the announcement in stride. A mask would, at least, obscure his identity slightly. Unfortunately, he was afforded no such protection until he had a mask and as the two made their way to a masquerade mask store, Adrian was acutely aware of the stares of the crowds he passed. The boy flushed lightly and quickened his pace until he walked beside Purple. Not quickly enough, they arrived at the shop, a location that his companion seemed to be familiar with. She moved through the store swiftly, quickly picking out two masquerade masks, one for Adrian and the other for herself.

With both flamboyant outfits completed, Purple led Adrian outside and around the masquerade mask shop into a dark alleyway. Adrian glanced around nervously at the isolated area. Was this where he would be ambushed, brought to an undignified end after being yanked around like a puppet by its strings? Instead of being jumped by some unsavory individual, he was instead led to the end of the path, where a small, wooden door was set into the wall.

“This thing only works one time, so make sure we go in together!” Purple stepped towards the door. Was this really the entrance to the mysterious Faciete's meeting? Adrian cast a doubtful glance at his surroundings and Purple busied herself with the door. It made some sense that the entrance would be well-disguised and a tiny door in some dark corner was certainly among the least conspicuous locations they could've chosen, but he still felt... disappointed. All this buildup, all this preparation, only to be led into a dingy alleyway as his companion struggled to open a single door - and she was struggling, having given up attempts to open the door normally and now trying whatever came to mind. Adrian turned his doubt towards her.

Did 'Violetta Shadowheart' know what she was doing? Adrian had operated under the assumption that she was associated with the Faciete and could act as some sort of shield. However, between the strange detours and her clear lack of knowledge here, he was beginning to question her utility. Tapping his foot against the hard, concrete ground, Adrian resisted his growing impatience. It was far too late to question her now.

Thankfully, it appeared his faith wasn't completely misplaced as, with a flourish, Purple slapped her invitation agains the surface of the door, unlocking it with a quiet click.

“Good bless!' She crowed. "Darkness has accepted me once more!”

Adrian rolled his eyes with another sigh and approached the now-open door. Beyond it lay yet another pathway, this one darker and more foreboding than the comparatively heavenly alleyway. This was clearly Purple's intended result and she stepped past the door with Adrian following after a brief, hesitant pause. As the door shut behind the pair and their only source of light became the series of candles set into the wall, he followed Purple closely through the cramped, twisted tunnel. Eventually, the tunnel expanded enough for him to walk beside her. Soon after, the tunnel came to an abrupt end before another set of doors, these ones much larger and opulent than the previous one.

This was their true destination, Adrian recognized. He stood before the imposing entrance and felt sick. He'd avoided thinking too much about the danger he was putting himself in but now he was forced to confront it. Had Kiyoshi received his message? Were the others already on the way? How much longer would they take? Were they even capable of finding him? Completely ignorant of Adrian's growing inner turmoil, Purple reached out towards the large doorknob.

"You ready?"

No. Not at all. In fact, Adrian was the opposite of ready. He was so not ready he had half a mind to turn around and leave. Purple, on the other hand, was all too eager to make her entrance and made to push open the doors before he could respond. Well, nothing to be done about it now, he decided. Straightening out his suit and ensuring that his mask was affixed properly, Adrian stepped past the threshold into the large chamber beyond.

The party was... well, a party. While Adrian had expected some sort of clandestine, underground meeting, the spacious, well-lit room was filled with amiable chatter and quiet music. Between the pristinely white tablecloths, sparkling chandeliers, glimmering crystal, and elaborate outfits, the environment reeked of wealth and Adrian couldn't have felt more out of place. Though, he realized as a tall man wearing a similarly-intricate suit passed by without a glance, he certainly looked as if he fit in. Purple had, miraculously, picked clothes that were so showy it matched those worn by the other attendees. Had he appeared in his previous outfit, Adrian felt as if he would've stuck out like a sore thumb.

Perhaps Adrian should... thank Violetta. She had helped him, after all, despite how little he enjoyed it. Begrudgingly, he turned towards his short companion only to come face to face with an empty space. Startled, Adrian wheeled around and searched the room for Violetta to no avail. That absolute, piece of- Adrian bit back an angry snarl. No, it wasn't as if he had asked Purple to stay by his side so it was his fault that he'd lost his only shield, ignorant as she was of her purpose to him. Gathering as much composure as he could, Adrian began to move languidly though the crowd, examining the appearances of those he passed. The boy recognized no one, though he likely wouldn't have been able to pick his own mother out of the crowd with the intricate masquerade masks obscuring much of their facial features.

The overhead lights began to dim and the sounds of music and chatter gave way to a quiet pressure. The lights surrounding a large stage at the other end of the room began to shine and an old man stepped out into their illumination. Restrained applause broke out among the gathered crowd upon his appearance and Adrian followed their example, clapping lightly as the man strode across the stage.

"Good afternoon, my friends. I'd like to take this opportunity to humbly express my gratitude, both for your attendance today, and for appointing me as leader of our organization."

So this was the head of the Faciete. The aged man certainly didn't look as if he were the head of a criminal organization, but very few of Adrian's expectations had been met so far. Adrian flinched as a warm hand came down upon his shoulder, distracting him from the man and his speech.

"Hello. Adrian, yes?" The speaker was a masked woman clad in a dress the same color as her dark tresses. She spoke so quietly her words barely reached Adrian's ears and were most likely completely inaudible to those around them. "You can call me Iris. I'm sorry that my sister left you here, but she'll be right back. His name is Gustav D. Altergott. He was elected as the new leader of the Faciete after the previous one stepped down. Everyone here is in support of him. Well, almost everyone."

Sister- Well, that was a surprise, indeed. Adrian eyed the older girl suspiciously. While Violetta and Iris certainly looked similar, their mannerisms couldn't have been more different. Regardless, she was a breath of fresh air after the typhoon that was her sister. An incredibly untrustworthy breath of fresh air, of course. Adrian pasted a thin smile across his face.

"Pleasure to meet you," he responded, adopting the same hushed tone Iris used. The conversation lapsed as the man on the stage - Altergott - continued with his speech.

"I would like to clarify that despite my new title, I am fully committed to continue working alongside you in pursuit of our shared goal. Indeed, our shared goal, the path that will lead us to true salvation... Many of our brothers and sisters still believe that we have strayed from Faciete's original ideals, but our purpose has ever been to free us all from the doom and destruction that lay ahead of us. Is that not the case?" The gathering of Faciete members appeared to agree with his words and a quiet murmur of assent rippled through the crowd.

"Keep in mind, I do not mean to antagonize them. After all, despite our conflicting viewpoints on how to move forward, all of us are striving for salvation. We who have gathered here today have found a new way to forge forward, and they simply have yet to open their eyes to the results that we have produced. Many of you likely still remember the incident that occurred at Fangen Theater two years ago. Years of research and experimentation, and our tireless labor bore fruit. We were able to take the Otherworlder, Rei Fey, under our wing with the energy released from the Lux that we've procured. What followed was an unfortunate twist of event that led to his death, and that of several of his peers who could have become our stalwart allies. The Vehemen Hunters Association..."

W-What? Otherworlder? That name was completely unfamiliar, but Adrian knew he had heard correctly. He'd never heard anything about another Otherworlder, much less several that died. But then again... it hadn't always made sense that Cleo, Elise, and Jun made up the entirety of the second generation. No, not with how much hostility was leveled their direction. Even in comparison to the third generation, there were far too few of them, a fact that concurred with what Altergott was saying. Stupefied, Adrian watched on in silence as the old man continued.

"We were painted as the villains after the incident. I concede, the destruction had not been within our predictions, but the power produced by Rei Fey is testament to the feasibility of our plans. And my friends, fortune smiles upon us once more. A new generation of Otherworlders has descended upon Lumen. I can sense their raw potential. With their prowess and our knowledge of Lux and Poex, each and every single one of these new Otherworlders has the ability to become the new Rei Fey and aid us in our ambition. It is my wish that you, my brothers and sisters, will walk alongside me as we see our vision fulfilled in the near future."

Suddenly, Adrian felt cornered. The crowd began to applaud and he joined in numbly. Nothing had changed about the situation - he had been mired in danger the moment he passed the threshold - but Adrian broke out into a cold sweat. As unassuming as Altergott's words had been, he severely doubted that Rei Fey's fate had been nothing more than a misfortunate accident. One thing was clear, however; the Faciete wanted Otherworlders and here one was, right in their midst. It had been a mistake to come. Even though none of the other attendees paid him any more attention than they had before Altergott's speech, Adrian found himself wondering if they'd recognize him at any moment. He was thankful for the masquerade mask's security, paltry as it was.

"That speech must have sounded confusing to you. Everyone here is privy to the plans that Gustav was talking about, so he probably didn't see the need to elaborate," Iris spoke up from beside Adrian. "We can't keep you here for long, so I'll try to explain what I can. But tell me, what did you think or understand about what Gustav said?" That's right, there was still someone who knew who he was. Adrian tugged nervously at the ends of his gloves. Schooling his expression into a fragile facade of calmness, he turned to face Iris.

"As far as I can tell," he sighed. "There's some kind of impending cataclysm that you're trying to stop and in order to do that, you - or rather, Gustav D. Altergott's Faciete - are trying to obtain the skills of Otherworlders like myself." Adrian chuckled dryly and brushed a stray strand of hair aside. "I've only got two questions. One, what exactly does Altergott want from us? Something as vague as 'power' or 'strength' means nothing to me." He paused and narrowed his eyes at Iris. "And two, you mentioned earlier that Altergott has the support of almost everyone here. Where do you stand on this grand plan of his?"





LOCATION: LAUTIN HOTEL, MAIN STREET, RAEVEDEL, PRAECES
INTERACTIONS: SilverBlack SilverBlack
MENTIONS: None







"My name is not Purple," Purple pouted angrily. The fanciful girl drew herself up to her full height and posed dramatically. "My name is... Violetta Shadowheart!" She looked entirely too proud of her self-introduction, Adrian decided. It was truly amazing how confidently she was able to present herself in public, though with how few people actually remained within the building, the coffee shop barely qualified as 'public'.

Violetta's prideful expression was as quick to vanish as it was to appear, leaving in its wake a dissatisfied frown as the small girl examined Adrian with a penetrating stare. Adrian shifted his weight from one foot to the other in discomfort under her scrutinization. Finally returning her gaze to his face, Violetta shook her head in yet another show of dissatisfaction.

“No, no. Now, I understand how enthusiastic you are to attend the party. But what you are wearing right now is no good, no good at all!" She arbitrarily declared. "We must dress you up! Now, follow me, our long lost demon prince!”

Violetta's intricate dress came to life as she spoke, its long laces rising up as if animated by a mind of their own and wrapping around Adrian's arm, to his growing horror. The tight bonds were unyielding as the pair departed the coffee shop, Violetta in the lead and Adrian dragged along like a piece of luggage. The lunatic now had him in a veritable handcuff, he realized. Well, if nothing else, this confirmed his suspicion that Violetta was not a normal person - Adrian was willing to bet that most people in Lumen couldn't use their clothing to magically bind others.

The duo made for quite the sight as they passed through the streets, though with how quickly they moved, Adrian couldn't gauge the reactions of the people they passed. Hopefully that meant the crowds didn't have time to recognize him either. Given his track record with luck lately, however, it was far more likely that several dozen pedestrians had attained high-definition videos of him and his captor. Adrian sighed hopelessly and resigned himself to being pulled by the arm to whatever destination Violetta had in mind.

Said destination became clear when the girl stepped into a large clothing store. She had mentioned something about Adrian's clothes, hadn't she? It became increasingly obvious that Violetta intended for a full reoutfitting as the two busted throughout the building, her searching through the clothes on display for something that suited her tastes - which, if her own lacy outfit was any indication, would likely not suit Adrian's preferences - and him in tow. In truth, Adrian was in dire need of more clothes and might've appreciated the opportunity to shop had he been accompanied by anyone except for Violetta. As it were, he felt entirely too pressured by her and the hanging threat of the Faciete to pay much attention to shopping.

In the end, Violetta settled on a set of clothes - something white and red, neither of which were colors he particularly preferred - and thrust Adrian bodily into a nearby dressing room. Inside the enclosed space, he held out his companion's chosen outfit and gawked in disbelief. It was worse than anything he'd ever thought possible. Frilled, ostentatious, and downright horrifying, the highly-decorated suit was perhaps even showier than Violetta's dress. She couldn't possibly expect him to wear this gaudy monstrosity, right? No, not only did she expect that, Violetta expected the clothes to actually suit him. Truly a lunatic of the highest order. Adrian was truly astounded that she hadn't been incarcerated at an asylum yet.

Despite his grievances, Adrian changed into the outfit and examined his appearance in the full length mirror within the dressing room. The suit had somehow managed to become even more ridiculous, especially with the addition of the strange, wing-like cloak. Heaving another despondent sigh - it was far from his first of the day and Adrian suspected that it wouldn't be the last either - Adrian equipped the crown jewel of the garish display: a tall, red hat that, while extravagant in its own right, was infinitely simpler in comparison to the suit.

Upon exiting the dressing room and presenting himself despairingly, Violetta - no, Purple, Adrian spitefully renamed her - squealed excitedly and seized him by the hand. Adrian flinched as her grip closed around his still-gloved palm and resumed their journey.

“We must get you a masquerade mask!” Purple made yet another unilateral decision. Adrian, having already surpassed his capability to care, took the announcement in stride. A mask would, at least, obscure his identity slightly. Unfortunately, he was afforded no such protection until he had a mask and as the two made their way to a masquerade mask store, Adrian was acutely aware of the stares of the crowds he passed. The boy flushed lightly and quickened his pace until he walked beside Purple. Not quickly enough, they arrived at the shop, a location that his companion seemed to be familiar with. She moved through the store swiftly, quickly picking out two masquerade masks, one for Adrian and the other for herself.

With both flamboyant outfits completed, Purple led Adrian outside and around the masquerade mask shop into a dark alleyway. Adrian glanced around nervously at the isolated area. Was this where he would be ambushed, brought to an undignified end after being yanked around like a puppet by its strings? Instead of being jumped by some unsavory individual, he was instead led to the end of the path, where a small, wooden door was set into the wall.

“This thing only works one time, so make sure we go in together!” Purple stepped towards the door. Was this really the entrance to the mysterious Faciete's meeting? Adrian cast a doubtful glance at his surroundings and Purple busied herself with the door. It made some sense that the entrance would be well-disguised and a tiny door in some dark corner was certainly among the least conspicuous locations they could've chosen, but he still felt... disappointed. All this buildup, all this preparation, only to be led into a dingy alleyway as his companion struggled to open a single door - and she was struggling, having given up attempts to open the door normally and now trying whatever came to mind. Adrian turned his doubt towards her.

Did 'Violetta Shadowheart' know what she was doing? Adrian had operated under the assumption that she was associated with the Faciete and could act as some sort of shield. However, between the strange detours and her clear lack of knowledge here, he was beginning to question her utility. Tapping his foot against the hard, concrete ground, Adrian resisted his growing impatience. It was far too late to question her now.

Thankfully, it appeared his faith wasn't completely misplaced as, with a flourish, Purple slapped her invitation agains the surface of the door, unlocking it with a quiet click.

“Good bless!' She crowed. "Darkness has accepted me once more!”

Adrian rolled his eyes with another sigh and approached the now-open door. Beyond it lay yet another pathway, this one darker and more foreboding than the comparatively heavenly alleyway. This was clearly Purple's intended result and she stepped past the door with Adrian following after a brief, hesitant pause. As the door shut behind the pair and their only source of light became the series of candles set into the wall, he followed Purple closely through the cramped, twisted tunnel. Eventually, the tunnel expanded enough for him to walk beside her. Soon after, the tunnel came to an abrupt end before another set of doors, these ones much larger and opulent than the previous one.

This was their true destination, Adrian recognized. He stood before the imposing entrance and felt sick. He'd avoided thinking too much about the danger he was putting himself in but now he was forced to confront it. Had Kiyoshi received his message? Were the others already on the way? How much longer would they take? Were they even capable of finding him? Completely ignorant of Adrian's growing inner turmoil, Purple reached out towards the large doorknob.

"You ready?"

No. Not at all. In fact, Adrian was the opposite of ready. He was so not ready he had half a mind to turn around and leave. Purple, on the other hand, was all too eager to make her entrance and made to push open the doors before he could respond. Well, nothing to be done about it now, he decided. Straightening out his suit and ensuring that his mask was affixed properly, Adrian stepped past the threshold into the large chamber beyond.

The party was... well, a party. While Adrian had expected some sort of clandestine, underground meeting, the spacious, well-lit room was filled with amiable chatter and quiet music. Between the pristinely white tablecloths, sparkling chandeliers, glimmering crystal, and elaborate outfits, the environment reeked of wealth and Adrian couldn't have felt more out of place. Though, he realized as a tall man wearing a similarly-intricate suit passed by without a glance, he certainly looked as if he fit in. Purple had, miraculously, picked clothes that were so showy it matched those worn by the other attendees. Had he appeared in his previous outfit, Adrian felt as if he would've stuck out like a sore thumb.

Perhaps Adrian should... thank Violetta. She had helped him, after all, despite how little he enjoyed it. Begrudgingly, he turned towards his short companion only to come face to face with an empty space. Startled, Adrian wheeled around and searched the room for Violetta to no avail. That absolute, piece of- Adrian bit back an angry snarl. No, it wasn't as if he had asked Purple to stay by his side so it was his fault that he'd lost his only shield, ignorant as she was of her purpose to him. Gathering as much composure as he could, Adrian began to move languidly though the crowd, examining the appearances of those he passed. The boy recognized no one, though he likely wouldn't have been able to pick his own mother out of the crowd with the intricate masquerade masks obscuring much of their facial features.

The overhead lights began to dim and the sounds of music and chatter gave way to a quiet pressure. The lights surrounding a large stage at the other end of the room began to shine and an old man stepped out into their illumination. Restrained applause broke out among the gathered crowd upon his appearance and Adrian followed their example, clapping lightly as the man strode across the stage.

"Good afternoon, my friends. I'd like to take this opportunity to humbly express my gratitude, both for your attendance today, and for appointing me as leader of our organization."

So this was the head of the Faciete. The aged man certainly didn't look as if he were the head of a criminal organization, but very few of Adrian's expectations had been met so far. Adrian flinched as a warm hand came down upon his shoulder, distracting him from the man and his speech.

"Hello. Adrian, yes?" The speaker was a masked woman clad in a dress the same color as her dark tresses. She spoke so quietly her words barely reached Adrian's ears and were most likely completely inaudible to those around them. "You can call me Iris. I'm sorry that my sister left you here, but she'll be right back. His name is Gustav D. Altergott. He was elected as the new leader of the Faciete after the previous one stepped down. Everyone here is in support of him. Well, almost everyone."

Sister- Well, that was a surprise, indeed. Adrian eyed the older girl suspiciously. While Violetta and Iris certainly looked similar, their mannerisms couldn't have been more different. Regardless, she was a breath of fresh air after the typhoon that was her sister. An incredibly untrustworthy breath of fresh air, of course. Adrian pasted a thin smile across his face.

"Pleasure to meet you," he responded, adopting the same hushed tone Iris used. The conversation lapsed as the man on the stage - Altergott - continued with his speech.

"I would like to clarify that despite my new title, I am fully committed to continue working alongside you in pursuit of our shared goal. Indeed, our shared goal, the path that will lead us to true salvation... Many of our brothers and sisters still believe that we have strayed from Faciete's original ideals, but our purpose has ever been to free us all from the doom and destruction that lay ahead of us. Is that not the case?" The gathering of Faciete members appeared to agree with his words and a quiet murmur of assent rippled through the crowd.

"Keep in mind, I do not mean to antagonize them. After all, despite our conflicting viewpoints on how to move forward, all of us are striving for salvation. We who have gathered here today have found a new way to forge forward, and they simply have yet to open their eyes to the results that we have produced. Many of you likely still remember the incident that occurred at Fangen Theater two years ago. Years of research and experimentation, and our tireless labor bore fruit. We were able to take the Otherworlder, Rei Fey, under our wing with the energy released from the Lux that we've procured. What followed was an unfortunate twist of event that led to his death, and that of several of his peers who could have become our stalwart allies. The Vehemen Hunters Association..."

W-What? Otherworlder? That name was completely unfamiliar, but Adrian knew he had heard correctly. He'd never heard anything about another Otherworlder, much less several that died. But then again... it hadn't always made sense that Cleo, Elise, and Jun made up the entirety of the second generation. No, not with how much hostility was leveled their direction. Even in comparison to the third generation, there were far too few of them, a fact that concurred with what Altergott was saying. Stupefied, Adrian watched on in silence as the old man continued.

"We were painted as the villains after the incident. I concede, the destruction had not been within our predictions, but the power produced by Rei Fey is testament to the feasibility of our plans. And my friends, fortune smiles upon us once more. A new generation of Otherworlders has descended upon Lumen. I can sense their raw potential. With their prowess and our knowledge of Lux and Poex, each and every single one of these new Otherworlders has the ability to become the new Rei Fey and aid us in our ambition. It is my wish that you, my brothers and sisters, will walk alongside me as we see our vision fulfilled in the near future."

Suddenly, Adrian felt cornered. The crowd began to applaud and he joined in numbly. Nothing had changed about the situation - he had been mired in danger the moment he passed the threshold - but Adrian broke out into a cold sweat. As unassuming as Altergott's words had been, he severely doubted that Rei Fey's fate had been nothing more than a misfortunate accident. One thing was clear, however; the Faciete wanted Otherworlders and here one was, right in their midst. It had been a mistake to come. Even though none of the other attendees paid him any more attention than they had before Altergott's speech, Adrian found himself wondering if they'd recognize him at any moment. He was thankful for the masquerade mask's security, paltry as it was.

"That speech must have sounded confusing to you. Everyone here is privy to the plans that Gustav was talking about, so he probably didn't see the need to elaborate," Iris spoke up from beside Adrian. "We can't keep you here for long, so I'll try to explain what I can. But tell me, what did you think or understand about what Gustav said?" That's right, there was still someone who knew who he was. Adrian tugged nervously at the ends of his gloves. Schooling his expression into a fragile facade of calmness, he turned to face Iris.

"As far as I can tell," he sighed. "There's some kind of impending cataclysm that you're trying to stop and in order to do that, you - or rather, Gustav D. Altergott's Faciete - are trying to obtain the skills of Otherworlders like myself." Adrian chuckled dryly and brushed a stray strand of hair aside. "I've only got two questions. One, what exactly does Altergott want from us? Something as vague as 'power' or 'strength' means nothing to me." He paused and narrowed his eyes at Iris. "And two, you mentioned earlier that Altergott has the support of almost everyone here. Where do you stand on this grand plan of his?"
 
橋本清
hashimoto kiyoshi
location
stationery store ; then coffeeshop
tags
adrian OldTurtle OldTurtle ; everyone else
Kiyoshi would be lying if he'd said that he was in any way expecting his phone to chime with an incoming notification — if anything, he'd admit it was a little jarring, to hear the clear tone of it when he'd so easily gotten lost in the peaceful ambience of the store. Truth be told, he'd practically forgotten he had the device on him at all. But no sooner had he slipped a hand into his pocket to check what message he'd just received than he was distracted from that endeavor.

"E-excuse me, you’re Hashimoto Kiyoshi, right?”

The inquiry belonged to two girls, faces dusted pink—he didn't recall it being particularly warm outside the shop, but perhaps they were more sensitive to the heat than he was—and their hands wrapped around their phone. He blinked, a little thrown, and quite a bit torn between feeling flattered that two complete strangers knew his name, and then unnerved by the same revelation. He'd never been one for the limelight, after all. Before he could decide what to choose, they continued, “If you don’t mind, can we take a picture with you?”

Ah.

That was certainly an outcome he hadn't been expecting. He understood, objectively, that Otherworlders were a rare phenomenon and somewhat worthy of attention, but by no means did he feel like a celebrity. Even of his peers, he was sure he wasn't high on the list of photo-worthy people.

"Oh," he replied, smile polite and a little flustered, as he chose to forego flattery and unease entirely. Surely there'd be no harm in agreeing to their request? There seemed to be no malice in it. "Of course. I apologize if I look a bit underwhelming, I hadn't anticipated dressing up for a photo—"

He'd always done his best to be wholly present for conversations he was a part of, and not eavesdrop (even inadvertently) on others, but he was growing acutely aware of the whispers around him growing in intensity. Frankly, the snatches he heard were alarming, but he schooled his face enough to keep his growing apprehension off of it, while the two girls took their photo. He had no promises about how he'd turn out in it, but at least he didn't look terrified, an option that was becoming more and more likely as the whispers grew louder and clearer.

Wondering if he should make his graceful exit right then, he was reminded of what had jolted him out of his reverie in the first place, before the photo opportunity. He went to slip his phone out of his pocket, and the movement made the screen light up briefly—just long enough to illuminate the notifications of an attached image from Adrian, and then a sufficiently terrifying Send help.

Before he could so much as pull his phone out entirely, or look at the picture Adrian had sent in the hopes that it would give less worrying context (though he felt, instinctively, that this would not be the case), he was forcibly reminded of where he was, currently. The stationery shop itself wasn't the problem, but in the split second it'd taken him to read his roommate's message, the other occupants of the shop—had there always been so many? he could have sworn it'd been all but empty when he'd first slipped in—had gathered into one mass. Objectively, they shouldn't have scared him, and yet Kiyoshi found himself unconsciously taking a step back, and then another, until his back hit a wall. He felt, distinctly, like he was being cornered, and unlike a Poex, this was something he had no idea how to handle.

All he knew was that they were growing more frenetic, and that clearly they wanted to target him, though he couldn't have fathomed why for the life of him. He was hardly anything remarkable, and yet, by the way they bit at each other and vied for his attention (not unlike dogs snarling over a scrap of meat, though he winced at the unflattering comparison, however accurate), you'd think he was some kind of celebrity.

“I-is it too much to ask for a hug—“

“Is he a stationary too? Can I buy him home—“


"I don't— ah, I'm afraid I don't think it's possible to purchase me—" Increasingly flustered, he was scarcely able to register one question before someone chimed in with another. But perhaps most terrifying were not the demands, but rather the chorus of "Kiyoshi~"

There was no way to make a graceful exit. As each moment passed, it became increasingly clear that he was extremely out of his depth, and Adrian needed help. Kiyoshi didn't have time to think about how to disentangle himself from the situation without ruffling feathers, and he honestly doubted his ability to do so without being torn (literally or metaphorically) limb from limb.

He didn't know the rules behind using magic outside of school, but surely, even if they forbade it, they would make exceptions for extenuating circumstances. And these were extenuating circumstances if he'd ever seen them. Briefly, he considered employing his secondary ability, but it would take time he didn't have, to manually pick his way through the crowd of fans, even cloaked — and it didn't even look like he had a clear way out, without bumping into someone, which defeated the purpose entirely.

Well. There was no way to curb the flashiness of his major ability, and in the limited time he had, he saw no other way out. Steeling himself, he cut through the rising din with an apologetic but firm, "I'm so sorry, but something urgent has come up that requires my immediate attention." To cushion the blow, he smiled, a brief flash of teeth, before bending slightly at the waist in a bow. He was sure that, had his mind not been occupied with his roommate's well-being, he would not be as steady as he was being now. "For what it's worth, it was lovely to meet you all. I hope I will continue to prove myself worthy of such loyalty."

With that, he manifested a portal in the wall immediately behind him, gaze set through the window so the exit would let him out outside the shop, as far away as his eyes could feasibly see. He stepped into it, making sure it closed immediately behind him in case anyone had thoughts about following through, and out the other side.

As soon as his feet touched down on the sidewalk, he wasted no time in putting as much distance between himself and the stationery store as he could. Where had Adrian been last? A coffeeshop, presumably. It wouldn't hurt to check the ones in the vicinity, while he pulled his phone out to inspect the photo he'd been sent.

It was no less ominous than the text. A letter emblazoned with a simple, and yet inexplicably threatening sentence: You are invited to the reception. Kiyoshi kept alternating his gaze from the phone in his hand to where he was going, seeing if there were any clues he was missing, that would help him piece this together, but he came up short. Although not expecting a reply, because if Adrian didn't even have time to send more information then he likely wasn't in a position where he could answer, Kiyoshi nonetheless sent back, Are you safe? Do you know your location?

That was right—he had everyone's contact information. He should have done that sooner. With nimble fingers, he screenshotted Adrian's text and forwarded it to the rest of the Third Gen, as well as Cleo and Elise; he had no delusions, about how pathetically little he'd be able to accomplish alone. Where should we regroup? his own text asked. He pocketed his phone. Until he heard the notification sound of a reply, he thought he might comb through the coffeeshops in the area. He knew Adrian couldn't have gone far; the other boy had been far too coffee-deprived for that.

Kiyoshi had some lingering anxieties about entering another store, his own encounter with nearly-rabid fangirls still fresh on his mind, but he swallowed it down, in favor of stepping into the first coffeeshop he encountered. He had no way of knowing if Adrian had been there except to ask. "My apologies for the interruption," he said, walking up to the counter, "but I was wondering if you'd recently seen a friend of mine? About my height, but a little taller, with dark hair and green eyes."

If not, then he'd thank the staff for their time and continue on his way. There must be a more efficient way to do this, but until then, this was his chosen course of action—staked on the far-fetched hope that a barista would not only remember Adrian, but would have witnessed where he might have gone, or if he'd been taken, or if he'd left with someone.
code by Nano Nano
 
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Hanna took the gloves that Fredi offered her, and begun to make her way out of the changing room. Hanna was determined to get them out of this store without hurting anyone too much. "Don't worry Fredi, you'll be fine. When I come back, you better be ready to run like hell." Hanna said before stepping out.

Hanna faced the crowd of fans, and lifted Fredi's gloves above her head. "Oh would you look at that! Seems like I have gloves worn by Frederika herself! Her scent is still on these bad boys!" She yelled before tossing the gloves into the crowd. The room exploded as everyone attempted to get Fredi's legendary gloves, and Hanna rushed back into the changing room.

"Come on, Fredi! Time to-" Hanna paused when it dawned upon her that Fredi was paralyzed in fear. "Change of plans, you can yell at me later, but right now we gotta bounce while everyone was distracted." She said while walking towards Fredi. With a few groands and grunts, Hanna lifted Fredi up princess style, and started charging out of the store before anyone could question where they had gone.
 
Cleo Donovan
Location: Random basement


Weird trades usually took place in the shadows, but somehow Cleo could always manage to find out about them. While the new generation of Otherworlders were trapped in a strange case of attack from fans or getting into a more serious trouble, Cleo, alone as usual, was in a mysterious, dark basement of a small inn, where dozens of small metal cages could be found either on the floor or the tables. The trader was covered from head to toe with a black cloak, the only thing visible about him was his deformedly long nose that poked out from under his hood. A single lightbulb illuminated the room, just bright enough to spot what’s inside in each of the cages. Inside one of them was a rather unique hybrid of what seemed to be a crossbreed between a spotted frog and a snake-eyed lizard…? Or so Cleo was guessing. How fun would it be to put it in Eiichi’s office. Haha. Just a thought. .

She did spend enough money on a couple bottles of beer already. She also won a bet and got a small bottle of love potion that she didn’t ask for, but thought it’d be fun to keep. Either way, it’s not worth spending more on something purposeless like this. The creature nonetheless stared back at her just as she stared at it--as if it was trying to draw her in. She could also feel the trader’s gaze to her side as the sole customer here.

Silence accompanied them until her phone buzzed.

Adrian’s picture and Kiyoshi’s message caused her to raise a brow. It was almost amusing how easily Otherworlders seemed to get themselves caught up in events--as if this is some type of cursed fate that followed them wherever they go. A bit of a bummer for them, considering this was their first outing. However, a bit of a change in mindset, and one could also think that this otherwise ordinary afternoon was no longer as boring thanks to Adrian getting into trouble, though probably against his will.

An invitation, huh. Cleo thought back at Kiyoshi’s forwarded message.

It might have something to do with the Faciete.

Such assumptions came to mind soon enough as she recalled their last encounter with the Faciete members. In the end, she recalled Eiichi finding something from the chicken man (not knowing his name, or likely she’d forgotten, she decided to just use such phrases to label him). A letter it appeared to be, though quickly put away. Cleo was not that nosy to bother with every single action that Eiichi took, though now she regretted not trying to steal it--or at least have a peek at it when she had the chance.

Considering that attack from the Faciete members, however, it wouldn't be surprising if Faciete tried to take a chance at them again. This time taking a much smarter approach of targeting the less-experienced third generations instead. Yet, from the unique way Adrian called for help along with that strange invitation...Instead of getting physically engaged into an unasked battle then kidnapped away, was Adrian peacefully threatened to accept the invitation? Then he followed along? Or did he go by his own free will? Would the initiator of the whole thing actually gave enough time or allowed Adrian to go forth and take a picture of the invitation and message for help, though?

Lots of unanswered questions did leave the girl slightly baffled at the intention of the "kidnapper" or even Adrian himself. Either way, however, looks like she’s leaving the basement. Cigarette smoke had long tarnished the air, leaving the underground space covered in an ashen smell. Cleo took one last look at the weird frog-lizard hybrid, and without too much of a glance at the trader, turned around and walked back upstairs then out of the inn.

Once under the sunlight, she texted back to everyone.

“Meet back at the square?”

It would be more fun if Eiichi won’t be following around and giving orderly directions. Though that’s kind of impossible. Although she won’t be informing Eiichi of this, it’s likely that at least Elise would be doing so, if not the Otherworlders.
----


Interacted: @ everyone

 
Iris smiled sympathetically at Adrian. He looked calm for the most part, but she could only guess how he was dealing with the revelation that they'd brought him to the tiger's den.

"Let's go somewhere more private first before we discuss further," she suggested. Moving at a measured pace, she exited the event venue, trusting Adrian to follow behind her. The entire floor of the hotel, save for the room that they were in, seemed devoid of staff and other guests. Iris entered a room one hallway down and held the door for Adrian before gently shutting it behind her. It looked like a standard meeting room, with a long conference table at the center and cushioned chairs around it.

"Now that we're away from prying ears," she folded her hands in front of her and considered her answer briefly."Those are good questions that you asked, and, hm... I will say that Gustav was telling the truth that the entirety of the Faciete strive for the same goal: salvation from the threat of the Poex. I don't know how much the staff at Vehemen Academy told you, but Poex attacks were much more common years ago before the Hunters' Association erected a barrier around Praeces. Many people, civilians or otherwise, were killed in the beginning before we understood what they were and how to deal with them... Our parents were also killed in the initial attacks," Iris sighed and leaned back against the table, head hanging low. "Most Faciete members lost loved ones. We don't want their deaths and sacrifices to be in vain, so we seek to rid the world of the threat of the Poex. Believe me when I say that the Faciete originally sought to achieve our goal without harming anyone, whether they'd be Otherworlders, civilians, or members of the Hunters' Association. We just wanted to make sure anyone who could and were willing to fight are trained and ready when the time comes.

With that said, Gustav and his supporters have become... disillusioned. They no longer trust that we can eradicate the Poex with methods they believe to be slow and unreliable. As he mentioned, they studied the energy contained within the Lux—that is, the rocks dropped by Poex when they are defeated—and found a way to release and manipulate that energy. They believe that by learning more about the Lux, they can eventually find a way to bring the Poex under their control, which, perhaps, can be considered a way to eliminate the threat that they present. But you've seen firsthand the destruction that the Poex can cause. One misstep, and we're talking about the death of countless innocents. In fact, that's already happened with the Fangen Theater Tragedy. Not to mention that we don't know what Gustav plans to do with the Poex if he actually succeeds." Iris paused and levelled a long stare at Adrian, willing him to understand the severity of the situation if Gustav's plans were to truly come to fruition. Eventually, she broke eye contact and tapped her chin, looking rather uncertain of how to continue. "I know that I said that everyone here is privy to the details of what Gustav was talking about, but I should amend that statement. Very few are directly involved in the execution of his plans, and I, for one, was not present at Fangen Theater two years ago. I could only speculate that it was an experiment with the Lux's energy gone wrong... It may prove more informative to ask your older peers about that particular incident. They were there when it happened, and the memory is no doubt still fresh in their minds.

But back to the matter at hand. To answer your first question, Gustav likely believes that the Otherworlders can help him uncover the secrets of the Lux and utilize that power. How, exactly, I do not know. As for your second question, you may have guessed by now that the Faciete is currently quite divided," she stepped closer to Adrian and pressed her voice lower before continuing, "Gustav is, on paper at least, the official leader of the Faciete as a whole, but a good portion of us is loyal to another. We're dedicated to achieving our goal through our original methods, so you see why that puts us in direct opposition to the current leadership."

Without warning, she grasped Adrian's hands in her own. Even behind her party mask, the desperation was clear in her eyes.

"Now that Gustav is appointed as leader, my allies and I have hit a roadblock. He'll try to eliminate anyone who don't support his goals, and we need allies like the Otherworlders if we want to stop what he's planning to do and proceed with our original methods. I understand this request for an alliance may make us sound no different from Gustav, and that you still know too little to trust us... But please understand that Gustav's plans will only bring more death, and we need to stop him from hurting more civilians and Otherworlders like you. We don't need an answer from you immediately, but I ask that you at least relay what I've told you to your peers and consider what I've said. And if you'd like to know more, our leader—the man that Violetta and I are loyal to—he would be delighted to speak to you and your friends."
Iris smiled sympathetically at Adrian. He looked calm for the most part, but she could only guess how he was dealing with the revelation that they'd brought him to the tiger's den.

"Let's go somewhere more private first before we discuss further," she suggested. Moving at a measured pace, she exited the event venue, trusting Adrian to follow behind her. The entire floor of the hotel, save for the room that they were in, seemed devoid of staff and other guests. Iris entered a room one hallway down and held the door for Adrian before gently shutting it behind her. It looked like a standard meeting room, with a long conference table at the center and cushioned chairs around it.

"Now that we're away from prying ears," she folded her hands in front of her and considered her answer briefly."Those are good questions that you asked, and, hm... I will say that Gustav was telling the truth that the entirety of the Faciete strive for the same goal: salvation from the threat of the Poex. I don't know how much the staff at Vehemen Academy told you, but Poex attacks were much more common years ago before the Hunters' Association erected a barrier around Praeces. Many people, civilians or otherwise, were killed in the beginning before we understood what they were and how to deal with them... Our parents were also killed in the initial attacks," Iris sighed and leaned back against the table, head hanging low. "Most Faciete members lost loved ones. We don't want their deaths and sacrifices to be in vain, so we seek to rid the world of the threat of the Poex. Believe me when I say that the Faciete originally sought to achieve our goal without harming anyone, whether they'd be Otherworlders, civilians, or members of the Hunters' Association. We just wanted to make sure anyone who could and were willing to fight are trained and ready when the time comes.

With that said, Gustav and his supporters have become... disillusioned. They no longer trust that we can eradicate the Poex with methods they believe to be slow and unreliable. As he mentioned, they studied the energy contained within the Lux—that is, the rocks dropped by Poex when they are defeated—and found a way to release and manipulate that energy. They believe that by learning more about the Lux, they can eventually find a way to bring the Poex under their control, which, perhaps, can be considered a way to eliminate the threat that they present. But you've seen firsthand the destruction that the Poex can cause. One misstep, and we're talking about the death of countless innocents. In fact, that's already happened with the Fangen Theater Tragedy. Not to mention that we don't know what Gustav plans to do with the Poex if he actually succeeds."
Iris paused and levelled a long stare at Adrian, willing him to understand the severity of the situation if Gustav's plans were to truly come to fruition. Eventually, she broke eye contact and tapped her chin, looking rather uncertain of how to continue. "I know that I said that everyone here is privy to the details of what Gustav was talking about, but I should amend that statement. Very few are directly involved in the execution of his plans, and I, for one, was not present at Fangen Theater two years ago. I could only speculate that it was an experiment with the Lux's energy gone wrong... It may prove more informative to ask your older peers about that particular incident. They were there when it happened, and the memory is no doubt still fresh in their minds.

But back to the matter at hand. To answer your first question, Gustav likely believes that the Otherworlders can help him uncover the secrets of the Lux and utilize that power. How, exactly, I do not know. As for your second question, you may have guessed by now that the Faciete is currently quite divided,"
she stepped closer to Adrian and pressed her voice lower before continuing, "Gustav is, on paper at least, the official leader of the Faciete as a whole, but a good portion of us is loyal to another. We're dedicated to achieving our goal through our original methods, so you see why that puts us in direct opposition to the current leadership."

Without warning, she grasped Adrian's hands in her own. Even behind her party mask, the desperation was clear in her eyes.

"Now that Gustav is appointed as leader, my allies and I have hit a roadblock. He'll try to eliminate anyone who don't support his goals, and we need allies like the Otherworlders if we want to stop what he's planning to do and proceed with our original methods. I understand this request for an alliance may make us sound no different from Gustav, and that you still know too little to trust us... But please understand that Gustav's plans will only bring more death, and we need to stop him from hurting more civilians and Otherworlders like you. We don't need an answer from you immediately, but I ask that you at least relay what I've told you to your peers and consider what I've said. And if you'd like to know more, our leader—the man that Violetta and I are loyal to—he would be delighted to speak to you and your friends."
 
~Frederika von Eisenhart~
-- A timely escape --

Status: Panicking
Wearing: Vehemen Academy School Uniform, female
Carrying: AGL-12, Stahl Streitaxt, Vigilant Preparation ammunition pouches
Location: Raevedel City, Raevedel Square

---

Several leaps and bounds away from store, Fredi tapped Hanna on the shoulder and motioned towards the ground. Half standing, half crawling out of the rather unforeseen hold that her roommate had put her into, she slowly straightened up, taking a few moments to attempt to regain some semblance of decorum before sitting down on a nearby park bench. "... thank you," came the sudden reply, her breathing still rushed though it slowly began to even out. "I... I am sorry you had to see that. That was extremely unbecoming of me, and worse, a terrific burden on you." The blonde valkyrie looked away from her roommate to gaze away at a fountain. "If you wish, you may leave me here, as I do not wish you to cease the remainder of your free time endeavors on my behalf. Not for something as... asinine as what you witnessed," she ended with, her face a mixture of disgrace and disappointment.
 






usami




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Swallowing what was left in her mouth, Usami returned to the table. She placed the paper bag down and retrieved a boat tray from inside. Usami poured out the buchi balls, allowing them to roll into the boat. She sat herself down after.

"Hey." Usami looked up from the table and made eyes with Ravyn. "I don't mean to intrude, but is everything alright?"

To this, Usami reverted her gaze back to the table. She made herself busy and shoved her hand back into the oil-stained paper bag, fishing out one of those disposable bamboo forks. Usami handed it to the redhead with one hand and dipped her head into a nod; she beckoned for her to take it. Meanwhile, her other hand scooted the boat tray toward her.
"Eat,"
was all she said.

The girl knew why Ravyn was asking, and she felt a bit embarrassed. Was she that easy to read? Usami helped herself to the snack- a way to mask the trouble that racked her thoughts. Even if things weren't so fine, Usami was probably the last person who would admit it out loud. She did appreciate Ravyn's curiosity (making her soften), but that didn't overturn the dark-haired girl's own curiosity as to why she was so worried.

Usami was prepared to ask Ravyn how the snack tasted, even though she wouldn't feel offended if the redhead declined to taste. Usami did notice over time that her roommate was careful of what she ate.

A buzz came from her skirt pocket and it caught the girl's attention. She didn't normally get notifications (as she never bothered to make any social media accounts). Fishing for the source, she retrieved her cellphone and checked the contents.
"Hmm..."
A thin line formed with her lips and Usami turned the screen toward Ravyn. She popped another buchi into her mouth while the redhead took her chance to read the group text. The snack caused a bulge against one side of her cheek that steadily disappeared the more she chewed.

At first, Usami thought nothing of the invitation in the forwarded image. It could have been one of those themed dance clubs nearby advertising their grand opening, but what kind of club had receptions? Usami shrugged to herself, not having the place to judge people's preferences. The rest of the chat was still fresh in her mind.
"Head back?"
she asked Ravyn. If there was trouble, then Usami's previous suspicions were correct. This Adrian fellow was like... The Prince of Bad Luck.

She popped another one in her mouth- crunch crunch crunch.





♡coded by uxie♡
 






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Alright, no roommate heart to heart today. Got it. Ravyn thought to herself. She really had to work on her boundaries. Though if the issue was what she thought it may be, she'd be there 100%. Her guess was that the buchi balls reminded Usami of home, and that had a bittersweet aftershock. She was still having little struggles with her own transition still, so maybe this would be an opportunity for the both of them to quietly heal. Or she could be completely wrong and her intuition needs to be put back in tune.

Now for the operative word: eat. Ravyn took the fork from Usami and plucked up a little fried morsel from the boat and took a little nibble. Dang. Daaaang. She let out a little sigh and her face melted with bliss as the flavor touched her tongue.
"Oh my gosh, this is literally so good"
She honestly had to take another bite. Her roommate had good taste in food. It wasn't like anything she'd ever had before, but it was great. Then, the sound of a buzz and serene windchimes broke the moment. She had set special ringtones for each of the Otherwolders already, so she knew it was Kiyoshi before she even picked up her phone. She plucked it from her purse just as Usami checked hers. Since when was there a party? Reception? Whatever. But since when was she not invited?? Lucky Adrian, getting invited to some sort of party on their first day it, though it was semi-concerning seeing as it was a forwarded message.
"Head back?" was the simple question tossed in the air by the girl sitting across the table.
Ravyn responded with a shrug.
"Yeah, I guess. Before we go, could we take a quick pic or two?" she grinned.

Looking around, she spotted a couple of cute places to take pics: one in front of a bakery window and another in front of the fountain.
"How about over there?" the redhead pointed towards the fountain. "We gotta commemorate our day out somehow!"

If given even the slightest nod, Ravyn would be up and moving. She already had a pose in mind. Sitting on the fountain's edge, one hand by her face to frame her eye and cheekbone, lightly resting on her other arm by her waist with a soft, serene half-smile. Usami could do whatever she felt comfortable with, and whatever passerby was closest would get the honor of taking the picture.





♡coded by uxie♡


nios nios
 
Elise Friedhelm.

Relaxing to the dull white noise of the afternoon foot traffic, Elise reclined upon a stray bench and stretched her feet lazily until she heard a distinct crack from her ankle bones. It was a good thing she had left the crêpes for last, she thought back with a wince. For all her patience, she had no doubts that any sane individual would agree that standing in an unexpectedly long line would deflate anyone’s spirits. Well, given the time and the popularity of the dessert parlor, she supposed she should have expected it.

Spotting a mother-daughter pair seemingly approaching her bench from her peripheral, Elise’s lackadaisical posture snapped up pencil straight, tucking her legs inwards to let the two pass. When the child instead bounded up to her with a large grin on her face, the silverette observed the little girl quietly with an inquisitive gaze. Before she could ask if there was anything she could help the two with, the child held out a blue balloon for her to take, accompanied by words of encouragement.

“Thank you…” Elise breathed out softly, her lips gently curving into a fond smile as she accepted the proffered balloon. “You’re very kind. I’ll treasure it.”

As she returned the energetic wave of the little girl as the mother and daughter walked to move on with their day, Elise basked in the rare moment of peace amongst the turmoil of the past two weeks since the 3rd Generation’s arrival. However, her brief reprieve was cut short in standard otherworldly fashion. The sharp buzz of her phone prompted her to scroll through her texts, the contents reminding her of how trouble always cropped up in the most random of corners in Lumen.

The first message was from Kiyoshi, a screenshot of a text from his roommate as well as an inquiry as to where they should regroup. The second was from Cleo, prompting them to meet back up at the city square.

“Did you tell Professor-”

Elise’s thumbs paused mid-sentence. An all too habitual sigh escaped her lips, soon followed up by the girl saving Kiyoshi’s screenshot and forwarding it to the professor in question.

[IMG]

“Dear Professor Kikuchi,

The Faciete have Adrian. Cleo told us to regroup at the square. I believe she forgot to inform you on this matter, so I am doing so in her stead.

Sincerely,
Elise Friedhelm.”


As for whether or not Cleo truly “forgot”, the answer was clear. Pigs would fly sooner than the girl would choose safety over the thrill of...whatever it was. However, if Professor Kikuchi were to attempt to dissuade them from going, she could bring herself to understand why Cleo would keep this information from him.

Making sure the crêpe in her hands was packed neat and secure in its box, Elise ported the sweet into her storage. The earring adorning her left ear, two flowers with teardrops hanging off of uneven and delicate chains, briefly flashed amber as the box disappeared from her hands. With her groceries and hospital visit gift tucked in a safe space, the silverette departed towards the square, her gait unnaturally brisk despite knowing that they’d have to wait until everyone arrived.

A sinking feeling in her stomach told her that it might be another trap. For what kind of evil organization allows its victim the time to send his friend a text before kidnapping him? What was even stranger was the format of the invitation shown in the photograph. Why would they contact an Otherworlder, someone who was seemingly their antithesis?

When another fresh wave of anxiety hit her, Elise found herself breaking into a run.
 


ADRIAN SEPTEMBER

Health

Stamina

Magical Energy

Coffee



"Let's go somewhere more private first before we discuss further."

Iris was in motion before Adrian could answer, making her way through the crowd towards one of the hall's exits. Stifling another sigh, Adrian followed in her wake. Normally, he'd have been nervous about meeting in private with such an untrustworthy individual but given that the entire floor appeared to be populated solely by the Faciete members in attendance, Adrian felt more comfortable without their constant presence surrounding him.

The meeting room she led him into was spacious, ordinary, and completely unexpected. Adrian had suspected that the Faciete had held the event at one of their properties, a conclusion that was supported by how they'd disguised the entrance. Now, though, he felt much less confident. Had they rented out some sort of venue for the night? If so, it must have cost a pretty penny. The hall and its occupants reeked of splendor. Perhaps it should have concerned him more that the Faciete had been able to pull off an event of this scale without anyone knowing but, as Iris closed the door behind him and sealed them off from the rest of the building, Adrian felt he had more pressing matters to deal with.

Despite the presence of several cushioned seats, Iris stood before the table and faced Adrian. The boy, also choosing to remain standing, tugged at his uncomfortable outfit and buried his nerves as deep as he could.

"Now that we're away from prying ears," Iris began. "Those are good questions that you asked, and, hm... I will say that Gustav was telling the truth that the entirety of the Faciete strive for the same goal: salvation from the threat of the Poex. I don't know how much the staff at Vehemen Academy told you, but Poex attacks were much more common years ago before the Hunters' Association erected a barrier around Praeces."

Adrian hummed in acknowledgement and folded his arms. Though he was hardly the most attentive student during Professor Eiichi's classes, he had heard something to that effect. The history of the Poex invasions and Lumen was, in his opinion, far more riveting than that of stuffy Ningen.

"Many people, civilians or otherwise, were killed in the beginning before we understood what they were and how to deal with them..." the girl resumed. "Our parents were also killed in the initial attacks."

Iris continued to speak, detailing her - and, by extension, the rest of the Faciete's - motives. Adrian remained silent and dug his fingers into the fabric of his sleeves, watching on unblinkingly. Her words, pained as they were, felt unbearably truthful. Though, for obvious reasons, Adrian couldn't truly understand or empathize with what she or any of the others had been through, an uncharacteristic swell of sympathy washed over him. His eyes flicked away from Iris's face for a brief moment, darting across the meeting room to the chairs, the floor, the overhead light fixtures, the emblazoned pens resting on the table, and finally back to her visage.

The masked girl switched subjects to something of more immediate interest to Adrian: Altergott. However, the information she provided about the Faciete leader and his plans was minimal at best. The organization's plans were to control the Poex by way of the power within Lux. Adrian suddenly found himself remembering the day he had first arrived in Lumen and the ensuing battle; in the aftermath, hadn't the Vice Principal mentioned the Lux? Though much of the eventful day had been a blur for him, this was surprisingly clear. So then was the VHA also studying this? Were they also trying to gain control over the Poex or was there more to Lux than just that? Adrian's stomach twisted with unease as he held Iris's gaze. The idea of trying to control Poex like the one he had encountered several weeks back - that great monster that could have and would have killed him in a single swipe had it not been for the timely intervention of the Second Generation - didn't sit right with him. Dangerous. Every fiber of his being screamed a singular message. Dangerous.

Iris, having broken off her lecture to watch Adrian, looked away and resumed. "I know that I said that everyone here is privy to the details of what Gustav was talking about, but I should amend that statement. Very few are directly involved in the execution of his plans, and I, for one, was not present at Fangen Theater two years ago. I could only speculate that it was an experiment with the Lux's energy gone wrong... It may prove more informative to ask your older peers about that particular incident. They were there when it happened, and the memory is no doubt still fresh in their minds."

The Fangen Theater. So the Rei Fey Altergott had mentioned really was one of the Second Generation. Why had no one ever mentioned this? Adrian found his answer as quickly as the question came to mind. Cleo and Elise were certainly close and had they shared a similar relationship with the rest of their peers, their deaths must have been a devastating blow. It was no surprise they wouldn't want to speak of it, especially if one of their own had truly been assisting the Faciete as Altergott had implied. But even so, even though Adrian could understand why the older Otherworlders hadn't said anything, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of hot anger lick at his chest. If they knew about all this, if they knew about the Faciete and what they were doing, then keeping it to themselves was dangerous. Adrian was testament to that; had the Faciete meant immediate harm to him, he would've been dead a dozen times over.

Gritting his teeth, Adrian shoved his gripes aside. It was neither the time nor place to complain and he had more important things to worry about. It was more worrying that Iris knew nothing about how Altergott intended to carry out his plans. The boy certainly wasn't about to approach the man himself and ask but if what Iris was saying was correct, then few others would be able to tell him anything. Well, that was a shame, but a shame he was willing to live with. Adrian wasn't quite so deranged as to waltz up to the leader of the Faciete and request a neatly summarized explanation for his grand scheme.

"But back to the matter at hand," Iris spoke, breaking Adrian out of his thoughts. "To answer your first question, Gustav likely believes that the Otherworlders can help him uncover the secrets of the Lux and utilize that power. How, exactly, I do not know. As for your second question, you may have guessed by now that the Faciete is currently quite divided. Gustav is, on paper at least, the official leader of the Faciete as a whole, but a good portion of us is loyal to another. We're dedicated to achieving our goal through our original methods, so you see why that puts us in direct opposition to the current leadership."

Already entirely too close for comfort, Iris went one step further, tightly seizing both of Adrian's hands in her own. He flinched and leaned away slightly but made no motion to extract himself from her grasp just yet. Instead, he watched with apprehension as she gazed intensely at him.

"Now that Gustav is appointed as leader, my allies and I have hit a roadblock. He'll try to eliminate anyone who don't support his goals, and we need allies like the Otherworlders if we want to stop what he's planning to do and proceed with our original methods. I understand this request for an alliance may make us sound no different from Gustav, and that you still know too little to trust us... But please understand that Gustav's plans will only bring more death, and we need to stop him from hurting more civilians and Otherworlders like you. We don't need an answer from you immediately, but I ask that you at least relay what I've told you to your peers and consider what I've said. And if you'd like to know more, our leader—the man that Violetta and I are loyal to—he would be delighted to speak to you and your friends."

"I... I need some time to think about this." Adrian pulled his hands free from Iris's and swept the tall, red hat off his head. "Alone. I'm going to step outside for just- just a minute," he decided. He placed the hat down on the table, using it to disguise the motion of him palming one of the many pens. "I'll be back soon."

With that final reassurance, Adrian shoved open the door to the meeting room and stepped into the quiet hall. Shutting the door behind him, he leaned back against the corridor wall and pressed his hand against his right temple. What the hell was this situation? How had he gone from buying coffee to being offered an alliance from a terrorist - or, well, someone he presumed was one. Adrian still wasn't too sure what the Faciete was, only that they meant nothing good for him.

Heaving a heavy, almost-trademarked sigh, Adrian stuffed a hand into his exuberant coat and pulled out his cellphone. Switching it on quickly, he immediately noticed the unread message from Kiyoshi.

"Are you safe? Do you know your location?"

Safe? Was he safe? As endangered as Adrian felt, he had to admit that so far no one had attempted to harm him. No, Iris, at least, was trying to recruit him rather than kill him and though that didn't exactly sit right with him either, he was in far less volatile a situation than he had first assumed. As for his location, that was slightly more complicated. Adrian knew by now that he was in some sort of high-class, multi-story building that could be rented out for events. With the addition of the meeting room Iris had shown him, Adrian was fairly confident in concluding he stood in a hotel - and an expensive one, at that. Of course, he didn't know which hotel or even how many hotels there were in Raevedel, but it was better than nothing.

He had one clue. Adrian examined the pen he'd picked up from the meeting room. Emblazoned on its ebony surface was a large symbol of sorts, the same one that was plastered over every napkin, glass, and surface in sight. No doubt it was the logo of wherever he was.

"Safe for now but there's dozens of Faciete. I think I'm in some fancy hotel but I don't know how to get here."

Once again engaging his phone's camera, he took a photo of the symbol and sent it.

"This is some logo or something. Maybe one of the others will know it. Hurry but be careful, their leader is here as well."

Turning the phone off, Adrian rested against the wall again. Now it was a waiting game. As for Iris's request, Altergott's plans certainly reeked of danger. He had already gotten Otherworlders killed and was willing to write it off as an unfortunate accident that had coincidentally happened. It took no stretch of the imagination to presume that he'd continue to do the same in the future. Iris and Violetta, on the other hand, seemed to harbor no ill will towards him. Perhaps helping them was the right choice...

As if. They were just as sketchy as Altergott. There was no chance in hell Adrian trusted Iris and her nameless, faceless leader so blindly. Though he appreciated the information she had given him, until he had the chance to verify it Adrian didn't feel he owed her any trust. Not to mention it was almost certainly Iris and her faction that had slipped that invitation to the event in his pocket and gotten him embroiled in all this in the first place. Had it been Altergott's faction that had done so, Adrian would likely have been meeting the man instead and hearing just as compelling a narrative as the one Iris provided.

But, Adrian recognized, her lack of hostility was something he appreciated. It wouldn't hurt to just relay her message, so long as it was taken with a grain of salt. Making up his mind, he stepped away from the wall and re-entered the meeting room.

"So," he began, shutting the door behind him, "you already know I can't just believe what you're saying. It's all.. a little much to take in." He ran a hand through his hair, then moved to the table and retrieved his monstrosity of a hat. "I'm not promising anything, but I'll tell the others what you told me. Obviously, I'm not going to make any decision here and now. If we decide to talk, then we'll see. You wouldn't happen to have a phone number or some way to contact you to use, would you?"

Adrian stopped and scratched his nose somewhat hesitantly. "And, well, I have another question. This one's a little more... personal curiosity, though." He frowned and tugged at his sleeves. "Why join the Faciete? If all you wanted was to arm and prepare people, then why go ahead with all this secrecy instead of going to the Vehemen Hunter Association? From the way you make it sound, you have the same goals as they do. What can the Faciete do for you that the VHA can't?"





LOCATION: LAUTIN HOTEL, MAIN STREET, RAEVEDEL, PRAECES
INTERACTIONS: SilverBlack SilverBlack vxnilla vxnilla
MENTIONS: None







"Let's go somewhere more private first before we discuss further."

Iris was in motion before Adrian could answer, making her way through the crowd towards one of the hall's exits. Stifling another sigh, Adrian followed in her wake. Normally, he'd have been nervous about meeting in private with such an untrustworthy individual but given that the entire floor appeared to be populated solely by the Faciete members in attendance, Adrian felt more comfortable without their constant presence surrounding him.

The meeting room she led him into was spacious, ordinary, and completely unexpected. Adrian had suspected that the Faciete had held the event at one of their properties, a conclusion that was supported by how they'd disguised the entrance. Now, though, he felt much less confident. Had they rented out some sort of venue for the night? If so, it must have cost a pretty penny. The hall and its occupants reeked of splendor. Perhaps it should have concerned him more that the Faciete had been able to pull off an event of this scale without anyone knowing but, as Iris closed the door behind him and sealed them off from the rest of the building, Adrian felt he had more pressing matters to deal with.

Despite the presence of several cushioned seats, Iris stood before the table and faced Adrian. The boy, also choosing to remain standing, tugged at his uncomfortable outfit and buried his nerves as deep as he could.

"Now that we're away from prying ears," Iris began. "Those are good questions that you asked, and, hm... I will say that Gustav was telling the truth that the entirety of the Faciete strive for the same goal: salvation from the threat of the Poex. I don't know how much the staff at Vehemen Academy told you, but Poex attacks were much more common years ago before the Hunters' Association erected a barrier around Praeces."

Adrian hummed in acknowledgement and folded his arms. Though he was hardly the most attentive student during Professor Eiichi's classes, he had heard something to that effect. The history of the Poex invasions and Lumen was, in his opinion, far more riveting than that of stuffy Ningen.

"Many people, civilians or otherwise, were killed in the beginning before we understood what they were and how to deal with them..." the girl resumed. "Our parents were also killed in the initial attacks."

Iris continued to speak, detailing her - and, by extension, the rest of the Faciete's - motives. Adrian remained silent and dug his fingers into the fabric of his sleeves, watching on unblinkingly. Her words, pained as they were, felt unbearably truthful. Though, for obvious reasons, Adrian couldn't truly understand or empathize with what she or any of the others had been through, an uncharacteristic swell of sympathy washed over him. His eyes flicked away from Iris's face for a brief moment, darting across the meeting room to the chairs, the floor, the overhead light fixtures, the emblazoned pens resting on the table, and finally back to her visage.

The masked girl switched subjects to something of more immediate interest to Adrian: Altergott. However, the information she provided about the Faciete leader and his plans was minimal at best. The organization's plans were to control the Poex by way of the power within Lux. Adrian suddenly found himself remembering the day he had first arrived in Lumen and the ensuing battle; in the aftermath, hadn't the Vice Principal mentioned the Lux? Though much of the eventful day had been a blur for him, this was surprisingly clear. So then was the VHA also studying this? Were they also trying to gain control over the Poex or was there more to Lux than just that? Adrian's stomach twisted with unease as he held Iris's gaze. The idea of trying to control Poex like the one he had encountered several weeks back - that great monster that could have and would have killed him in a single swipe had it not been for the timely intervention of the Second Generation - didn't sit right with him. Dangerous. Every fiber of his being screamed a singular message. Dangerous.

Iris, having broken off her lecture to watch Adrian, looked away and resumed. "I know that I said that everyone here is privy to the details of what Gustav was talking about, but I should amend that statement. Very few are directly involved in the execution of his plans, and I, for one, was not present at Fangen Theater two years ago. I could only speculate that it was an experiment with the Lux's energy gone wrong... It may prove more informative to ask your older peers about that particular incident. They were there when it happened, and the memory is no doubt still fresh in their minds."

The Fangen Theater. So the Rei Fey Altergott had mentioned really was one of the Second Generation. Why had no one ever mentioned this? Adrian found his answer as quickly as the question came to mind. Cleo and Elise were certainly close and had they shared a similar relationship with the rest of their peers, their deaths must have been a devastating blow. It was no surprise they wouldn't want to speak of it, especially if one of their own had truly been assisting the Faciete as Altergott had implied. But even so, even though Adrian could understand why the older Otherworlders hadn't said anything, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of hot anger lick at his chest. If they knew about all this, if they knew about the Faciete and what they were doing, then keeping it to themselves was dangerous. Adrian was testament to that; had the Faciete meant immediate harm to him, he would've been dead a dozen times over.

Gritting his teeth, Adrian shoved his gripes aside. It was neither the time nor place to complain and he had more important things to worry about. It was more worrying that Iris knew nothing about how Altergott intended to carry out his plans. The boy certainly wasn't about to approach the man himself and ask but if what Iris was saying was correct, then few others would be able to tell him anything. Well, that was a shame, but a shame he was willing to live with. Adrian wasn't quite so deranged as to waltz up to the leader of the Faciete and request a neatly summarized explanation for his grand scheme.

"But back to the matter at hand," Iris spoke, breaking Adrian out of his thoughts. "To answer your first question, Gustav likely believes that the Otherworlders can help him uncover the secrets of the Lux and utilize that power. How, exactly, I do not know. As for your second question, you may have guessed by now that the Faciete is currently quite divided. Gustav is, on paper at least, the official leader of the Faciete as a whole, but a good portion of us is loyal to another. We're dedicated to achieving our goal through our original methods, so you see why that puts us in direct opposition to the current leadership."

Already entirely too close for comfort, Iris went one step further, tightly seizing both of Adrian's hands in her own. He flinched and leaned away slightly but made no motion to extract himself from her grasp just yet. Instead, he watched with apprehension as she gazed intensely at him.

"Now that Gustav is appointed as leader, my allies and I have hit a roadblock. He'll try to eliminate anyone who don't support his goals, and we need allies like the Otherworlders if we want to stop what he's planning to do and proceed with our original methods. I understand this request for an alliance may make us sound no different from Gustav, and that you still know too little to trust us... But please understand that Gustav's plans will only bring more death, and we need to stop him from hurting more civilians and Otherworlders like you. We don't need an answer from you immediately, but I ask that you at least relay what I've told you to your peers and consider what I've said. And if you'd like to know more, our leader—the man that Violetta and I are loyal to—he would be delighted to speak to you and your friends."

"I... I need some time to think about this." Adrian pulled his hands free from Iris's and swept the tall, red hat off his head. "Alone. I'm going to step outside for just- just a minute," he decided. He placed the hat down on the table, using it to disguise the motion of him palming one of the many pens. "I'll be back soon."

With that final reassurance, Adrian shoved open the door to the meeting room and stepped into the quiet hall. Shutting the door behind him, he leaned back against the corridor wall and pressed his hand against his right temple. What the hell was this situation? How had he gone from buying coffee to being offered an alliance from a terrorist - or, well, someone he presumed was one. Adrian still wasn't too sure what the Faciete was, only that they meant nothing good for him.

Heaving a heavy, almost-trademarked sigh, Adrian stuffed a hand into his exuberant coat and pulled out his cellphone. Switching it on quickly, he immediately noticed the unread message from Kiyoshi.

"Are you safe? Do you know your location?"

Safe? Was he safe? As endangered as Adrian felt, he had to admit that so far no one had attempted to harm him. No, Iris, at least, was trying to recruit him rather than kill him and though that didn't exactly sit right with him either, he was in far less volatile a situation than he had first assumed. As for his location, that was slightly more complicated. Adrian knew by now that he was in some sort of high-class, multi-story building that could be rented out for events. With the addition of the meeting room Iris had shown him, Adrian was fairly confident in concluding he stood in a hotel - and an expensive one, at that. Of course, he didn't know which hotel or even how many hotels there were in Raevedel, but it was better than nothing.

He had one clue. Adrian examined the pen he'd picked up from the meeting room. Emblazoned on its ebony surface was a large symbol of sorts, the same one that was plastered over every napkin, glass, and surface in sight. No doubt it was the logo of wherever he was.

"Safe for now but there's dozens of Faciete. I think I'm in some fancy hotel but I don't know how to get here."

Once again engaging his phone's camera, he took a photo of the symbol and sent it.

"This is some logo or something. Maybe one of the others will know it. Hurry but be careful, their leader is here as well."

Turning the phone off, Adrian rested against the wall again. Now it was a waiting game. As for Iris's request, Altergott's plans certainly reeked of danger. He had already gotten Otherworlders killed and was willing to write it off as an unfortunate accident that had coincidentally happened. It took no stretch of the imagination to presume that he'd continue to do the same in the future. Iris and Violetta, on the other hand, seemed to harbor no ill will towards him. Perhaps helping them was the right choice...

As if. They were just as sketchy as Altergott. There was no chance in hell Adrian trusted Iris and her nameless, faceless leader so blindly. Though he appreciated the information she had given him, until he had the chance to verify it Adrian didn't feel he owed her any trust. Not to mention it was almost certainly Iris and her faction that had slipped that invitation to the event in his pocket and gotten him embroiled in all this in the first place. Had it been Altergott's faction that had done so, Adrian would likely have been meeting the man instead and hearing just as compelling a narrative as the one Iris provided.

But, Adrian recognized, her lack of hostility was something he appreciated. It wouldn't hurt to just relay her message, so long as it was taken with a grain of salt. Making up his mind, he stepped away from the wall and re-entered the meeting room.

"So," he began, shutting the door behind him, "you already know I can't just believe what you're saying. It's all.. a little much to take in." He ran a hand through his hair, then moved to the table and retrieved his monstrosity of a hat. "I'm not promising anything, but I'll tell the others what you told me. Obviously, I'm not going to make any decision here and now. If we decide to talk, then we'll see. You wouldn't happen to have a phone number or some way to contact you to use, would you?"

Adrian stopped and scratched his nose somewhat hesitantly. "And, well, I have another question. This one's a little more... personal curiosity, though." He frowned and tugged at his sleeves. "Why join the Faciete? If all you wanted was to arm and prepare people, then why go ahead with all this secrecy instead of going to the Vehemen Hunter Association? From the way you make it sound, you have the same goals as they do. What can the Faciete do for you that the VHA can't?
 






Hanna Aldrin


Health

Stamina

Magical Enegry







Location:
Raevedel Square
interactions: PixelSymphony PixelSymphony





Hanna sighed after she put Fredi down, she's a big girl who can stand on her own 2 feet anyways. "Talk about a day off, huh." Hanna sighed as she sat down next to fredi. Hanna was surprised that they had gained such a large amount of fans over the short time they had been in this world. She could barely process the fact that this was the truth, but somewhere inside her, she liked the attention. It felt good having people recognize her, and look up to her for inspiration, she just hopes that they don't go the same path that she went down back on earth.

Hanna's attention snapped back to Fredi when she apologized to her for freezing up back in the shop. She seemed to have gotten her composure back, which was good, but Hanna frowned when Fredi even suggested the fact that they split up. She put her legs on Fredi's lap, "Sorry, your stuck with me today Fredi, can't get rid of me that easily." She said with a smirk. Hanna pulled her phone out, and noticed that she had received a text from Kyoshi.

"Hmmmm, seems like Adrian is in a bit of trouble Fredi, however, they wanted to meet up in the Raevedel Square, which I believe is where we are right now, so I guess we just, sit back and relax." Hanna said casually.

 
Eiichi pushed open the antique shop door and allowed his shoulders to sag a little when he saw that the little establishment was unoccupied.

"Sal, I'm here," he called.

"Ah, Eiichi! I was wondering when you'd come to visit!"

An elderly man emerged from the door right behind the counter. He moved slowly with a limp, and had a dusting brush in one hand and a ratty rag in another. Behind thick glasses, the corners of his eyes crinkled in thinly veiled joy when he laid his eyes on Eiichi. "Those two girls you sent last time left as quickly as they came. Didn't even have time to tell them embarrassing stories of you!"

Eiichi raised an eyebrow and lifted the paper bag in his hand.

"Hm, sounds like you don't want these fried donuts I got. Maybe I'll just enjoy them myself."

"Alright, alright," Sal tossed the rag and brush down on the counter and snatched the bag over. "Bullying a poor old man like me. You know these donuts are the only thing that I live for now."

Eiichi's lips twitched up into a smile as Sal tore into one of the oily confection. Wordlessly, he picked up the dusting brush and got around to cleaning the antiques on display. It was a familiar routine from back when he lived with the old man years ago. Sal would take a break over coffee ("Tea's for pansies!" he would always say) and treats while Eiichi helped out around the shop (not that his help was really needed, with the small handful of customers that came by each day).

"So what brings you here today? Figured you'd be busy wrangling those new kids," Sal said around a mouthful of donut.

"We're on a field trip today," Eiichi said, feeling another surge of annoyance when Rolvel's face came up in his mind. "The principal thought it'd be a good idea to let them 'get some air', like there isn't a criminal organization out there that just tried to kill them two weeks ago."

"Someone's feeling attached," Sal chuckled. Eiichi hummed noncommittedly and proceeded to dust the wares harder. "Hey, you're gonna break that! Alright, no more teasing. So, what? You let them loose around the city, just like that?"

"Would you like me to keep them all on a literal leash?" Eiichi asked. Sal shrugged and chugged down his cup of coffee. Eiichi couldn't help but be reminded of a particular coffee-addicted student of his and wonder if he would get along with Sal.

Their chit-chat went on for a few brief moments before the shop door opened again with a crisp chime from the shopkeeper's bell. Sal set his donut down and stood to welcome a middle-aged couple walking in.

"Hello there. Anything I can help you find?" Sal asked pleasantly.

"Just looking around for things we can add to our home decor," the man answered with a smile.

As the two began to browse the shop, Eiichi set down the duster on a shelf. But as he moved to step aside for the couple, the woman bumped into his side. Something slipped from his jacket's inner pocket and clattered to the floor before he could move to catch it.

"Oops! I'm so sorry about that!" the woman gasped. She reached down and picked up whatever he dropped—ah, his phone—before Eiichi could assure her that no harm was done, and handed it back to him. Eiichi took it with a polite nod. "It's not broken, is it?"

Eiichi looked down and saw no noticeable cracks. With a push of a button, the phone lit up as normal. "Don't worry, it's fine."

"Oh, that's good," the woman breathed out a sigh of relief. Before she could pester him with more apologies and niceties, Eiichi slipped behind the counter and used Sal as a human shield against further social interactions. If the old man noticed, he was mature enough not to comment on it in front of customers.

After a few more minutes, the couple thanked Sal and said they'll look around some more (which, as Sal told him years ago, was usually code for "we're never coming back again but we want to be polite.")

"Now that they're gone... Reunited once more," Sal said, picking up the half-eaten donut.

"You're going to clog your arteries," Eiichi pointed out. He reached into his pocket space and produced a thermos bottle. Ignoring Sal's look of disdain, he opened it and took a sip of his hot tea.

"You and your hot leaf juice... Anyway, you sure it's safe to let your kids wander around without supervision?" Sal asked.

Eiichi pressed his lips together. There was still a niggling feeling at the back of his mind telling him that this outing was a bad idea. But Rolvel advised him to give them some space, lest they become petulant from the lack of freedom. He could only hope that they had the sense to not wander too far and actually contact him if something happened, unlike Cleo.

He checked his phone again and saw no calls or notifications from his students. Which... didn't make him feel as relieved as it should.

"Elise will call if something happens," Eiichi replied, even if he didn't feel as sure as he sounded.

"The one with the flower in her hair? She seemed sensible enough," Sal said as a way of reassurance. "The blonde one though? Ha! I liked that one. Heard she stole a motorcycle!"

And so Eiichi was badgered into regaling Sal with tales of Cleo's countless reckless deeds. Exchanging quips with Sal managed to distract Eiichi from his unease, even if only for a short while. But unbeknownst to him and the Otherworlders, any calls and texts seeking his help will fail to reach him...
 






usami




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The corners of Usami's lips quivered in response to Ravyn's reaction. She was glad she liked them. She originally thought the redhead would decline or feel distaste for it was soaked in too much oil. Nevertheless, Usami was pleased and nudged the boat closer to Ravyn, an urge for her to eat some more.

While Ravyn checked her phone, Usami was in the midst of typing a reply to the group chat. She did it so meticulously, pressing one button after the other.
"On... The...,"
the letters slowly came together, allowing a brand new message bar to hover above it. [Convert to 'OTW'?] was what it said, evidently putting Usami's hard work to waste.

Usami huffed and went with the converted version. She resheathed her phone into her skirt pocket at Ravyn's request. A picture? Usami's head tilted with bewilderment until an imaginary lightbulb popped above her head. That's right. It must be for her social media platform. The hermit was vaguely familiar with her roommate's activity in the 'digital world'. And so, Usami nodded to accept her request. She might not be qualified as an adequate photographer, but there was no consequence for trying.

She followed Ravyn to the desired spot- the fountain that she pointed out when they arrived. Usami held out her hand for Ravyn's phone, gradually preparing herself to be a temporary shutterbug, but became nonplussed as the phone was handed off to a random stranger. Was she fired from her position already, was what she thought as she watched Ravyn adjust herself into an elaborate pose. It then became apparent that she was supposed to be in the picture with her, which is how she found herself sitting beside Ravyn on the fountain's edge.

Usami felt awkward. While Ravyn looked ever-so-natural in her current position, Usami had trouble deciding where to place her hands. She glanced nervously at Ravyn, her eyebrows twitched with uncertainty. She didn't want to add anymore discomfort for herself and the stranger holding Ravyn's phone. So, Usami fervently planted her hands on her lap and stared straight at the camera lens. The stranger (the poor fellow) flinched from the terse stare, counted down from three, and took their picture within a single breath.

Tension released from the dark-haired girl's shoulders once it was over. She was practically holding her breath for the entirety of the photoshoot. Usami rubbed the palm of her hands on her skirt, ridding them of its clamminess.
"Is it commemorative,"
she asked the redhead slowly. She still sat on the fountain. Her bags and staff were beside her (although, they were not in the picture).
"Is there more to take"
she followed.





♡coded by uxie♡
 
~Frederika von Eisenhart~
-- Duty Calls --

Status: Calming down
Wearing: Vehemen Academy School Uniform, female
Carrying: AGL-12, Stahl Streitaxt, Vigilant Preparation ammunition pouches
Location: Raevedel City, Raevedel Square

---

For a moment, Frederika sat upright, eyes locked onto Hanna and her defiance of her wishes. But slowly, her glare softened and she broke eye contact, swinging her eyes downwards as she sighed in quiet defeat. "Of... of course. I wasn't intending that." A few moments of quiet passed before a final set of words slipped out, between awkward lips. "...thank you for your company." She struggled to find the words to say what she wanted to next, her brain in uncharacteristic disarray as she continued to recover from earlier. "I... again apologize for earlier. I... don't know why, but when I saw all those eyes and faces looking at me, their undivided attention just all at me, I just-"

The quiet chirp of her phone's alert halted her mid-sentence, and she withdrew her phone alongside Hanna. Her eyes hardened as she read through Adrian's hurried text, the transmitted images merely raising additional questions in her mind. Why would the Faciete invite him to a party and not simply abscond with them much as they have already once? A frown crossed her face, and any vulnerability that had once been there had quickly galvanized into duty. "Very well, yes we must rendezvous with the rest of the Third Generation before we face the... them," she equivocated, peering around as worry began to fill her that any passerby might be a Faciete spy.

---

Interaction: Nessi Nessi
 
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Whether she was prepared or not, it was too late as Ravyn's picture had already been taken. Whatever face Usami made, it was well captured in digital print forever. Usami shrugged it off and awaited for what was next. She held her belongings gingerly and stood silently in place. She wondered if the others had met up already- still believing the matter wasn't so urgent. What was urgent, however, was the rising urge to retrieve a snack from her goody bag. It not be done, sadly, as Usami caught a look- a very dangerous look- on her partner's face. It still startled Usami sometimes- Ravyn's level of excitement, that is. It was unmatched and unpredictable.

Usami held out a gloved hand to halt the fired-up redhead, but alas, she was already skipping down the villa with an exhilarated determination within each step. Usami followed after her. She moved at a pace fast enough to keep the red curly mass of hair within her radar.

"Aaah-,"
she sighed as she finally caught up. She found herself at yet another store, but this one was more within her familiarity. A thrift shop where the majority of her wardrobe back home came from. After all, Usami didn't come from money, and to Usami's mother, purchasing used clothes seemed more practical and safe for the environment.

As Ravyn wandered off with her little devotee into the garby abyss, Usami was enraptured by an incomplete tea set on display, which was all shaped as small sets of feet. The curious girl wanted to laugh. A gloved hand covered her mouth as to refrain from making any noise. Who on earth would make such an obscure thing? Usami moved on from the display and moved onto the next. As time passed, Usami was beginning to grow drowsy. She held two objects in her arms. They were a cast-iron takoyaki pan and frog-shaped oven mitts- both of which were now precious to her. Usami thought it was a good idea to start looking for Ravyn, as so, she passed by the aisles for the familiar redhead. As she was about to give up, she spotted the one she was looking for who was also accompanied by a spunky-looking pink-haired girl. They held hangers with clothes and Usami eyed them warily the closer Ravyn got to her.

Usami was given two articles of clothing, to which she was instructed to change into. Too low energy to refuse, Usami dragged herself into the changing room. It was best to get it over and done with. The outfit Ravyn gave her was... well an outfit. The long black skirt had a pleated texture and an asymmetrical hem. It was easy to move in too. The blouse was a bit loose as Usami lacked in some departments, but the material shrunk itself like her uniform. It felt silky against her skin- an unfamiliar texture. When she looked at herself in the mirror, Usami released a light sigh, her head tilting at the outfit equipped. It wasn't bad, she thought to herself.

The newly dressed girl left the dressing room and retrieved her belongings. When she meets with Ravyn, her eyes wander at her outfit. Indeed, it suited her very well. Usami gave Ravyn a contented nod.
"You look very pretty,"
was what she was trying to convey. However, Usami looked at the time while she was changing and had to remind Ravyn that it was time to pick up the pace.
"We go to the others now,"
she prompted and made her way to cashier who turned out to be the little devotee.

With another bag (containing her pan and mitts) added into the mix of goods, Usami stood outside the store as she searched for the way back to the rendezvous point. She yawned while scrolling through her phone for directions.





♡coded by uxie♡
 
橋本清
hashimoto kiyoshi
location
coffeeshop ; then the square
tags
adrian OldTurtle OldTurtle ; everyone else
Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the barista could only offer a helpless shrug and an apology. Kiyoshi was quick to assure them that it was alright — they could hardly be expected, after all, to not only remember every face that came in, but also who they left with. With a quick bow, he thanked them for their time regardless.

Scarcely had he stepped foot out of the coffee shop when he felt his phone chime with a series of incoming messages. He stepped to the side before he pulled it out to check it—likely, it wouldn't be a quick endeavor, and he wouldn't want to clog up the sidewalk, or slow anyone who was on their way.

The first text was from Cleo, a simple Meet back at the Square?

After replying in the affirmative (I'll be there.), Kiyoshi swiped over to check what other messages he'd received. Thankfully, the others seemed to be from Adrian, which was, at the very least, good news: he was safe and well enough to be able to continue his correspondence—although Kiyoshi was worried, that Adrian might be jeopardizing his safety to pass this information onto them.

Safe for now, Adrian had texted, but there's dozens of Faciete. I think I'm in some fancy hotel but I don't know how to get here.

Below that, there was a picture of some sort of insignia, engraved onto the surface of what looked like a pen or a similar writing instrument, and the message continued, This is some logo or something. Maybe one of the others will know it. Hurry but be careful, their leader is here as well.

It certainly wasn't familiar to Kiyoshi, but he'd have been more alarmed if he had recognized it, frankly. Likely, the Third Generation will have to defer to the experience of either Elise or Cleo or Professor Kikuchi—

Oh. Speaking of their teacher, had he been alerted? It would be important for him to know, wouldn't it? Still, he doubted that someone hadn't thought to let the Professor know yet—and, if he were being honest, Kiyoshi was a little bit hesitant to make that overture. If that made him cowardly—well. He knew he had his shortcomings to work on, and this could be one of them.

This was supposed to a day off for Professor Kikuchi, just as it was for them, and perhaps he wouldn't take kindly to having that interrupted. Even less so, if Kiyoshi's message turned out to be redundant. And his experience with authority figures in the past hadn't exactly shown him that they were the most accessible of people. Worse comes to worst, he could mention it once they've all regrouped.

Having come to that conclusion, Kiyoshi forwarded Adrian's newest messages to the others as well, and then sought to respond to his roommate. Thank you, this is more than enough. I've passed this on to the others. He paused, fingers hovering over the screen. At what point would his responses become superfluous? Really, nothing else he added would be of great necessity.

Still. If he were in Adrian's situation, in an unfamiliar place surrounded by potential hostiles, in a completely new world, he would be terrified out of his mind. He might not be the greatest at comforting, but he would rather try than leave his end of the conversation this clinical.

Hang tight, Adrian. We're coming. Please stay safe until we get there.

After sending off that last sentence, Kiyoshi pocketed his phone. He hadn't gone too far from the Square, so it didn't take him long at all to make his way back.
code by Nano Nano
 

Cleo Donovan
Location: Raevedel Square

By the time Cleo had returned to the fountain by the square, mostly everyone had gathered. Kiyoshi came rushing back around the same time Cleo had arrived, and she gave him--as well as Elise, Hanna, and Frederika, a nod as a greeting. Admittedly, she herself would have come back sooner as the first one who told everyone to gather back at the square, but she was chased by a man she stole money from in the past. Obviously, she couldn’t lead him all the way to the square, so an attempt to lose him made her waste some time.

When Ravyn and Usami came back, the several bags of clothes they carried with them caught her attention. She had noticed how Frederika had bought more gears for herself as well. Cleo smiled upon seeing it--they were all supposed to be here today for a fun afternoon of shopping and strolling through the city. It seemed that unexpected incidents always find their way to them.

They had some good time before being dragged into some mess, at least. Hopefully.
Conveniently, the storage accessory they should’ve brought with them would be a nice way to store these bought items away if not needed, so they wouldn’t need to carry those bags everywhere.

Standing beside Elise, she took a look at everyone before speaking.

Looks like everyone has gathered...Hm?

Where’s Eiichi?

How strange. That man should’ve been the first one to pop up here. With the safety of his students being his first priority and the thing he concerned himself with the most, that man would’ve been standing among the group with that uttermost stern face by now.

Did Elise not tell him? But that’d be unnatural of her.

...Elise,” with that said, she placed a hand onto her fellow friend’s shoulder, the question she was about to ask almost slipped out before Cleo halted herself.

Why?

Why ask?


How rare is it for an opportunity to act without the constant nagging of a superior. It’d be funny if Eiichi was also kidnapped. That did sound fun, but, the girl hoped that’s not the case. It’d be a rather grave situation if the kidnappers--whichever opposing forces they belonged to, Faciete or not--have become powerful enough to easily capture one of Vehemen Academy’s instructors away.

Well, whatever the case is, she’s not about to pass on this opportunity, though she did pray for Eiichi’s safety. The hand that rested on Elise’s shoulder moved away, instead replaced by a pat to the head.

Ah, the one good student here. She must have contacted Eiichi already. She must have also known where he is too.

But she wouldn’t bring up his name to remind her of the fact that they could all go running to where he is right now to report him on this. After all, time is urgent, right?

Cleo returned her gaze to the crew. “Well, everyone's here. Should we go then?

There is no need to say much of anything else.

---

Judging from the last couple of texts that Adrian sent along with the photo, Cleo had a pretty good idea where that poor Otherworlder might be.

Everinde Hotel is one of the largest hotels within the city, known for its extravagant exterior design and an interior purposefully decorated to appear high-class and sophisticated. It has a logo of a sun intersected by a crescent moon, the capital letter E and H on each inner half of the sun on the two sides. Everything about the building screamed that it’s a five-star hotel that is not for some mere peasants wanting to spend a night. A greeter stood firm by the revolving door to give a ninety degree bow to whoever entered, as anyone can be a potential customer.

She did hesitate for a brief second when Cleo and her crew stepped in, but hurriedly resumed her professionalism as she also gave them a deep bow.

Every customer here all seemed to be finely dressed--even those wearing as casual as a pair of jeans and shirt looks expensive. Some raised a brow as they noticed the group of Otherworlders who, well, aren’t all dressed too finely or high-fashioned, but then whispered among themselves as they recognized them from television as the Otherworlders.

Judging by all this attention, should they have slipped in from the backdoors? But going around all the securities is annoying as is. They would be found out either way. Besides, if Cleo recalled correctly, the CEO of this hotel was a man who prided himself in how the hotel was built. From how fancy this building is, he didn’t mind visitors who just wanted to come in and take a look around. Peasants who could only stare in awe and fill themselves in grief on how they cannot afford to spend a night here.

“Later when people ask why we were in this hotel,” Cleo said softly to the group beside her. “We’ll just say Ravyn heard about it and wanted to take a look.

Now, how to find Adrian?

Fortunately, even though the guests in the hotel noticed them, and probably some security guards too, the ladies in their elegant red uniforms by the counter seemed to all be occupied with some important guests who were making a scene over some money issue. They were distracting enough and gave Cleo some time to figure out where they should go.

Coincidentally around the same time, a couple small kids could be seen running up the stairs from the side of the building. They were chatting as they walked past the group of Otherworlders.

“Did you see that?” One of the kids said. “I think a secret party is being held down there. They are all wearing super fancy outfits!”

“They look so pretty and cool, I want to dress up like them too!” Another kid responded with glistening eyes.

Cleo listened to them, her eyes following the way they came from to the stairs. So a party is being held in the basement? Seems like a nice way to start their investigation.

At that instance, the man by the counter that was causing a scene raised his voice hysterically, a loud yell on something about the unfair treatments of this hotel rang across the lobby as he reached his arm out and grabbed the counter lady by her throat with so much force to lift her up from the floor. The woman gagged and struggled in fear as the other ladies next to her screamed.It was enough of a dramatic scene for the security guards to rush toward the man and the rest of the guests in the lobby to look in that direction.

Now’s the chance..!

Seeing this opportunity, Cleo gestured for the group to follow her to the stairs as they went down to the basement
.

---
Mentioned/Interacted: @ Everyone
 
By the time Adrian returned to the meeting room, Iris was standing prim and proper by the table, the desperation all but gone from her visage. She nodded understandingly at Adrian.

"Of course, I'd also find it difficult to trust someone based on words alone," Iris acquiesced. "And I should apologize for my outburst earlier. This goal of ours is important to me, so—nevermind. I've said enough about that already. As for our contact, this is my number," she took out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Adrian."It's for a burner phone, so we won't have to worry about being traced or anything like that... You probably already know this, but your Academy-issued phones are tracked and monitored by the staff, so maybe you should consider investing in a burner phone too."

Iris's lips quirked up at Adrian's final question.

"On the surface, it does seem like we share the same goals as the Association, but that's only because the general public doesn't see them for what they really are." Resentment flickered across Iris's expression, gone as quickly as it appeared. "The higherups of the Association lied to us—to you and the public. I doubt even your professors at the Academy know the truth, but they're no different from the Faciete under Gustav. The Association is actually-"

"That's enough, Smith!"

The door of the meeting room swung open. Within seconds, a dozen or so men and women swarmed into the room and surrounded the duo. One of the woman stepped forward. From her left wrist up, her hand was morphed into the shape of a revolver, pointed directly at Iris's head.

"Looks like we took too long," Iris murmured, inching closer to Adrian. She glanced around the room. Only a few of the men and women bore weapons, and she could only assume the others had powers.

"Shut it, and don't move," the woman growled. She glanced at Adrian and huffed. "Looks like we were right to assume an Otherworlder is around. Next time, maybe you should teach your idiot of a sister how to be inconspicuous."

An image of Violetta loudly proclaiming some nonsense about demons and darkness in the middle of the Faciete party popped up in Iris's mind. Heaving out a sigh, she replied drily, "Thanks for the advice."

The woman ignored her and smiled at Adrian, surprisingly pleasant considering the fact that she seemed seconds away from shooting someone's brains out.

"I've seen you on television. Adrian, was it? I don't know what lies this girl fed you, but I'm sure we can get everything cleared up. Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. Gustav has been made aware of your presence here today, and he'd like to speak with you. I'm sure you're smart enough to know that you should hear both sides of the story."

Instead of waiting for a response from Adrian, Iris cut in, "And what if he doesn't want to go with you? He's been gone for a while, and I'm sure his friends are looking for him right about now."

"Then that's perfect. They can all speak to Gustav and decide for themselves whose words they want to believe," the woman said. "And if they're unwilling... We have our methods of bringing them to Gustav without hurting them."

"Maybe another time," Iris said.

"That's not for you to- what the fuck?"

A thick smoke-like substance, black interlaced with purple, rose up like a wall in front of Iris and Adrian before toppling over the woman. Her yell of surprise was cut off abruptly as the smoke engulfed her. Panicked cries rang out around the room as the rest of Gustav's men were similarly snared by the writhing smoke.

"Iris!" a familiar voice called. Violetta skidded to a stop in front of the meeting room's open door. She took in the scene before her and smiled proudly"As expected of the princess of darkness! But anyway, the ruthless servants of evil have spotted us!"

"We've noticed, and you and I are going to have a talk later," Iris said icily.

"Oh, the demonic princess unleashes her fury and wrath on me once more...!" Violetta cried woefully. Iris ignored her sister's long spiel and turned to Adrian.

"My power won't hold them for long. Violetta and I will get you back to your friends, and then we'll have to lay low for a while... Unless you want to stay and talk to Gustav?" Iris asked with a raised brow.

"About that!" Violetta piped up. She laid a hand over her eyepatch and doubled over with a dramatic groan. "My demonic eye...! It tells me... The loyal followers of the demon prince picked up on the traces of his dark powers and found their way here, to the villains' lair!"

"...If I'm interpreting correctly, your friends must have made it here already," Iris said. "It's your choice if you want to leave or stay. I don't know what the chances are of you finding your friends if you stay, but Violetta can lead us to your friends if that's what you want. Either way, we have to go, or Gustav won't let us off easy."

She gave Adrian another moment to make up his mind before turning around and running out the door with Violetta in tow. Whether Adrian follows was his decision. Right now, she was more concerned about the shouts of their pursuers who were quickly gaining on them.
 






  • Everinde Hotel















    prom queen



    beach bunny
























    we're off to see the Faciete, the wonderful Faciete of Lumen 🎶























@bb.ravyn




a few moments ago


















nine lives

 
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Usami felt less guilty for appearing with her hefty bounty once she saw some of the others made use of their leisure to find their needs and wants. Usami was swift to place all her belongings in the 'storage ring' as she took her own time to get accustomed to it. She felt much lighter without the weight on her arms- now ready as ever with her lavish outfit and matching staff.

The silent girl followed the others to the address on Adrian's invitation. She didn't think much about Professor Eiichi's whereabouts and only assumed he went ahead of them. That, however, was just a product of her own reassurance, but it was quickly tarnished once they arrived at the hotel with no Professor in sight.
"Did I just blindly follow Cleo here?"
Something told Usami that this was, unfortunately, going to be a reoccurring thing.

Walking inside the lobby, Usami inched herself closer to the group, all the while keeping her eyes downcast. She didn't want to meet any snooty magnate's gaze and cause a scene. Yet, the whispers surrounding them confirmed that there was no escape to their scrutiny. The clothes she wore, which made her feel like a whole different being, squished her esteem like a pancake. She felt like an impostor. Usami could only gulp, remember why she was there, and listen closely to Cleo's words.

The commotion at the front desk caused Usami to wince.
"Security will take care of it...,"
she assured herself and quickened her pace to match the others.

Usami hid with the others as they reached their first obstacle- a guard posted by a set of descending stairs to the basement. The dark-haired girl looked around. It appeared they were in a hallway, which was quite a contrast to the rest of the luxurious establishment. Along the sides were lined with seasonal furniture and industrial-sized laundry carts stuffed with white cloths.

Instead of waiting around as Ravyn worked her magic with the guard, Usami wandered off and was engrossed by some of the seasonal decorations. That was until she had to hide behind a clothing rack as a woman in the hotel's uniform dumped bundles of white tablecloths into one of the laundry carts. Once they were out of sight, Usami scratched at her temple as her eyes followed the woman's back and fell upon the laundry cart. Usami shook her head and the absurd idea that came with it. That only works in novels and movies, she thought.

The dark-haired girl quietly returned to the others and moved to where Kiyoshi was. She extended the staff to get his attention but paused.

Usami began to retract... There was no mistaking the ridiculousness Usami would've felt if she proposed her plan. There was a huge possibility that it wasn't going to work. Her own doubts were telling her to let the others handle this. How could someone like her, with no experience in this matter, be of help to them? Usami looked at the 'them' she was referring to (as in Cleo and Elise). Should she just contact Professor Eiichi and let him get Adrian back? She bit her cheek as she contemplated her options. Should she do anything at all?

Just as Usami was about to give up, the dark-haired girl sighed and ran a hand down her face. She tapped Kiyoshi lightly with her staff and whispered,
"Can't you get us behind the guard?"
She sounded hesitant despite wanting to sound as dismissive as possible. She only hoped her voice was too incoherent for him to hear.
"Perhaps a portal... or something?"






♡coded by uxie♡
 


ADRIAN SEPTEMBER

Health

Stamina

Magical Energy

Coffee



Nodding silently, Adrian reached out and took the slip of paper from Iris. He scanned its contents quickly, committing them to memory just in case, and shoved her number somewhere deep within the unmapped recesses of his elaborate coat. Having a direct line to Iris as an option at his disposal was undeniably a boon, regardless of whether or not Adrian could trust her.

As for her recommendation to purchase another phone, Adrian agreed wholeheartedly. Attempting to contact a member of the Faciete through a phone monitored by the academy was asking for trouble. Of course, regardless of how much he wanted to buy a burner, he currently lacked the means to do so. Every penny he and the rest of the Third Generation had at their disposal had been supplied by the academy and Adrian would eat his left boot if they weren’t monitoring each purchase they made. He wasn’t so dull as to think using those funds for this was a good idea. No, he’d need to acquire some money of his own before even thinking about buying a burner phone.

"On the surface, it does seem like we share the same goals as the Association,” Iris continued. ”But that's only because the general public doesn't see them for what they really are. The higher ups of the Association lied to us—to you and the public. I doubt even your professors at the Academy know the truth, but they're no different from the Faciete under Gustav. The Association is actually-”

“That’s enough, Smith!”

Adrian whirled around as the doors behind him burst upon, admitting a swarm of masked men and women into the room - Faciete. Adrian cursed under his breath and backed away from the sudden interruption. With how amicable Iris had been, he’d nearly forgotten the direness of his situation.

One woman, dressed as intricately as the other Faciete members, stepped forth from the mob and aimed a weapon (hand?) squarely at Iris. Putting his hands up, Adrian edged away from the scene, not wanting to be anywhere near the line of fire. He scanned the room, desperately searching for a way out. But no, there were no windows, nothing to serve as cover, and the only door in the room lay behind the Faciete. He was trapped.
Despite Adrian’s growing panic, Iris seemed much less perturbed. She slipped closer to his side. "Looks like we took too long."

Adrian felt a vein in his head throb. Why the hell was she getting closer? He’d rather not be anywhere close to the explosive end of a gun but Iris was all too happy to bring him to the center of attention.

“Shut it, and don’t move,” hissed the gun-hand-woman. She looked at Adrian and then back to Iris. “Looks like we were right to assume an Otherworlder is around. Next time, maybe you should teach your idiot of a sister how to be inconspicuous.”

Sister? Did she mean… Ah. Of course. Purple. Adrian felt a second vein begin to throb and resolved to permanently forget her name. Why had he ever expected her to be capable of keeping his presence a secret? Fuming silently, Adrian descended into rapturous, distracting fantasies of setting fire to every eyepatch on Lumen.

"I've seen you on television,” Gun-hand spoke, interrupting his pleasant delusions. “Adrian, was it?” Adrian managed a weak smile and brought his hand up to brush against his mask. There really had been no point to wearing this, had there? The mask hadn’t obscured his identity in the slightest. “I don't know what lies this girl fed you, but I'm sure we can get everything cleared up. Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. Gustav has been made aware of your presence here today, and he'd like to speak with you. I'm sure you're smart enough to know that you should hear both sides of the story."

"And what if he doesn't want to go with you?” Iris asked, not giving Adrian a chance to respond. “He's been gone for a while, and I'm sure his friends are looking for him right about now."

"Then that's perfect. They can all speak to Gustav and decide for themselves whose words they want to believe. And if they're unwilling... We have our methods of bringing them to Gustav without hurting them."

"Maybe another time."

"That's not for you to- what the fuck?" A thick curtain of dark smoke rose from the ground, enveloping first Gun-hand and then the rest of her conies. Their sounds of confusion and surprise filled the room as Adrian watched on, wide-eyed with amazement. He turned towards Iris, shocked at the ease with which she had dealt with a dozen Faciete members. “How did you-”

"Iris!" Purple burst onto the scene with an energy that tired Adrian simply by association. She glanced around at the entrapped Faciete and grinned at her sister. "As expected of the princess of darkness! But anyway, the ruthless servants of evil have spotted us!"

"We've noticed,” Iris replied with a cold, quiet anger. “And you and I are going to have a talk later."

"Oh, the demonic princess unleashes her fury and wrath on me once more...!"

"My power won't hold them for long,” Iris said, ignoring her sister’s outburst and turning back to Adrian. “Violetta and I will get you back to your friends, and then we'll have to lay low for a while... Unless you want to stay and talk to Gustav?"

"About that!" Violetta pressed a hand to her eyepatch and began a theatrical performance. Adrian silently swore a solemn oath to burn the damn thing by any means necessary. "My demonic eye...! It tells me... The loyal followers of the demon prince picked up on the traces of his dark powers and found their way here, to the villains' lair!"

"...If I'm interpreting correctly, your friends must have made it here already," Iris said. "It's your choice if you want to leave or stay. I don't know what the chances are of you finding your friends if you stay, but Violetta can lead us to your friends if that's what you want. Either way, we have to go, or Gustav won't let us off easy."

Adrian perked up and almost burst out in a wide, relieved grin. It was welcome news indeed. “Like hell I’m staying any longer,” he snorted under his breath. Squaring his shoulders, he nodded and stepped forward, motioning to the door. “Lead the way.” Iris led Purple out of the meeting room and Adrian followed on their heels, removing his utterly useless mask and shoving it somewhere deep within the subspace that was his ridiculous coat.





LOCATION: BASEMENT, LAUTIN HOTEL, MAIN STREET, RAEVEDEL, PRAECES
INTERACTIONS: Dawnsx Dawnsx
MENTIONS: None








Nodding silently, Adrian reached out and took the slip of paper from Iris. He scanned its contents quickly, committing them to memory just in case, and shoved her number somewhere deep within the unmapped recesses of his elaborate coat. Having a direct line to Iris as an option at his disposal was undeniably a boon, regardless of whether or not Adrian could trust her.

As for her recommendation to purchase another phone, Adrian agreed wholeheartedly. Attempting to contact a member of the Faciete through a phone monitored by the academy was asking for trouble. Of course, regardless of how much he wanted to buy a burner, he currently lacked the means to do so. Every penny he and the rest of the Third Generation had at their disposal had been supplied by the academy and Adrian would eat his left boot if they weren’t monitoring each purchase they made. He wasn’t so dull as to think using those funds for this was a good idea. No, he’d need to acquire some money of his own before even thinking about buying a burner phone.

"On the surface, it does seem like we share the same goals as the Association,” Iris continued. ”But that's only because the general public doesn't see them for what they really are. The higher ups of the Association lied to us—to you and the public. I doubt even your professors at the Academy know the truth, but they're no different from the Faciete under Gustav. The Association is actually-”

“That’s enough, Smith!”

Adrian whirled around as the doors behind him burst upon, admitting a swarm of masked men and women into the room - Faciete. Adrian cursed under his breath and backed away from the sudden interruption. With how amicable Iris had been, he’d nearly forgotten the direness of his situation.

One woman, dressed as intricately as the other Faciete members, stepped forth from the mob and aimed a weapon (hand?) squarely at Iris. Putting his hands up, Adrian edged away from the scene, not wanting to be anywhere near the line of fire. He scanned the room, desperately searching for a way out. But no, there were no windows, nothing to serve as cover, and the only door in the room lay behind the Faciete. He was trapped.
Despite Adrian’s growing panic, Iris seemed much less perturbed. She slipped closer to his side. "Looks like we took too long."

Adrian felt a vein in his head throb. Why the hell was she getting closer? He’d rather not be anywhere close to the explosive end of a gun but Iris was all too happy to bring him to the center of attention.

“Shut it, and don’t move,” hissed the gun-hand-woman. She looked at Adrian and then back to Iris. “Looks like we were right to assume an Otherworlder is around. Next time, maybe you should teach your idiot of a sister how to be inconspicuous.”

Sister? Did she mean… Ah. Of course. Purple. Adrian felt a second vein begin to throb and resolved to permanently forget her name. Why had he ever expected her to be capable of keeping his presence a secret? Fuming silently, Adrian descended into rapturous, distracting fantasies of setting fire to every eyepatch on Lumen.

"I've seen you on television,” Gun-hand spoke, interrupting his pleasant delusions. “Adrian, was it?” Adrian managed a weak smile and brought his hand up to brush against his mask. There really had been no point to wearing this, had there? The mask hadn’t obscured his identity in the slightest. “I don't know what lies this girl fed you, but I'm sure we can get everything cleared up. Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you. Gustav has been made aware of your presence here today, and he'd like to speak with you. I'm sure you're smart enough to know that you should hear both sides of the story."

"And what if he doesn't want to go with you?” Iris asked, not giving Adrian a chance to respond. “He's been gone for a while, and I'm sure his friends are looking for him right about now."

"Then that's perfect. They can all speak to Gustav and decide for themselves whose words they want to believe. And if they're unwilling... We have our methods of bringing them to Gustav without hurting them."

"Maybe another time."

"That's not for you to- what the fuck?" A thick curtain of dark smoke rose from the ground, enveloping first Gun-hand and then the rest of her conies. Their sounds of confusion and surprise filled the room as Adrian watched on, wide-eyed with amazement. He turned towards Iris, shocked at the ease with which she had dealt with a dozen Faciete members. “How did you-”

"Iris!" Purple burst onto the scene with an energy that tired Adrian simply by association. She glanced around at the entrapped Faciete and grinned at her sister. "As expected of the princess of darkness! But anyway, the ruthless servants of evil have spotted us!"

"We've noticed,” Iris replied with a cold, quiet anger. “And you and I are going to have a talk later."

"Oh, the demonic princess unleashes her fury and wrath on me once more...!"

"My power won't hold them for long,” Iris said, ignoring her sister’s outburst and turning back to Adrian. “Violetta and I will get you back to your friends, and then we'll have to lay low for a while... Unless you want to stay and talk to Gustav?"

"About that!" Violetta pressed a hand to her eyepatch and began a theatrical performance. Adrian silently swore a solemn oath to burn the damn thing by any means necessary. "My demonic eye...! It tells me... The loyal followers of the demon prince picked up on the traces of his dark powers and found their way here, to the villains' lair!"

"...If I'm interpreting correctly, your friends must have made it here already," Iris said. "It's your choice if you want to leave or stay. I don't know what the chances are of you finding your friends if you stay, but Violetta can lead us to your friends if that's what you want. Either way, we have to go, or Gustav won't let us off easy."

Adrian perked up and almost burst out in a wide, relieved grin. It was welcome news indeed. “Like hell I’m staying any longer,” he snorted under his breath. Squaring his shoulders, he nodded and stepped forward, motioning to the door. “Lead the way.” Iris led Purple out of the meeting room and Adrian followed on their heels, removing his utterly useless mask and shoving it somewhere deep within the subspace that was his ridiculous coat.
 
Elise Friedhelm.

While cataloguing the Otherworlders gradually assembling at their rendezvous point, Elise felt a hand casually land on her shoulder. When no further words followed up the call of her name, the girl turned to look quizzically at her addresser.

“What’s up?” Elise asked, only for Cleo to never finish speaking the question hanging on her tongue. Instead, the white-haired girl moved to give her a pat on the head—a fond gesture, if not for the feeling in Elise’s gut that her friend was either being derisive or planning to stir up trouble. Again.

Cleo’s actions filled in where her unspoken words failed to inform, and Elise found herself gesturing towards the group to wait in vain. The troublemaker had already ushered the group on its way, leaving her to bring her outstretched hand towards her face to catch her exasperated sigh. It was a simple matter to decipher Cleo’s current train of thought, and it was one that she absolutely disagreed with. Feeling a sense of deja-vu which dug up memories she’d rather not think about at the moment, the girl sucked in a deep breath and jogged to catch up to the group.

Never one to give up, Elise followed along at the tail-end of their little ensemble and scrolled through her contacts to ring up Professor Kikuchi. Perhaps the man had been preoccupied and not noticed a text coming through. However, when the final set of rings died and directed her to his voicemail, the silver-haired girl chewed on her lip and tiredly turned her eyes towards the heavens. Their Professor’s instructions were simple: call him if anything was awry. Yet, in less than a month, they had violated those basic instructions a total of three times either out of urgency or a certain someone’s haste. Sometimes, it felt as if there were some higher being above that manipulated the world’s events to attract trouble while isolating them from the watchful eyes of a trained professional.

Surely, no deity was that sadistic.

Elise tapped her index finger upon her phone impatiently as she tried to reach Professor Kikuchi once more. Again, the line was redirected to voicemail. And again, as she attempted for a third time.

Feeling the thin line holding her patience together snap, Elise crammed her phone back into her pocket. She’d briefly considered calling another professor but figured that would cause more issues than help. If something did happen, at least they could claim that they’d tried their best to contact their professor. Considering the kidnapping, the situation was rather dire, and Cleo was right in getting a move on as soon as possible. She’d simply have to hold on to the hope that the group was open to the idea of keeping the current operation discreet.

===

Stepping awkwardly through the revolving doors of the Everinde Hotel, Elise directed her eyes down worriedly. The marble floors were polished so finely that she could gaze upon her reflection. Much like its reputation boasted, the pride and joy of the rich man behind the hotel’s establishment was glamored from head to toe, causing the girl to nervously fret about trekking mud upon its pristine floors or touching something she shouldn’t. If the Faciete could afford to kidnap Adrian and whisk him away here, their funds must be quite abundant. Perhaps they had a handful of wealthy sponsors? It wasn’t as if the idea of the corrupt wealthy tossing money at questionable organizations was anything new.

Whatever the case, it was painfully apparent that the Otherworlders were out-of-place with their comparatively ratty outfits. Ignoring the curious stares of onlookers, Elise nodded her assent at Cleo’s suggestion and followed the group to the hotel’s lower level.

Ravyn was quick to descend down the stairs and get to work on Plan Seduce the Guard. Elise chose to politely tiptoe and move along as to prevent arousing his suspicion. She didn’t quite think that the personnel chosen to guard such a high-class hotel would fall for such deceit, but it was best not to question it and ruin whatever small chance that it did work. Who knows? It was a common tactic in those spy movies starring fiery-haired femme fatales, after all. At the very least, Ravyn had been successful in catching the guard’s attention, allowing the group of otherworlders to slip past. While tip-toeing to a blind spot, Elise shot the redhead a silent thumbs-up for her hard work.

Joining in on the team’s little circle of whispers, Elise turned towards Frederika to give her own round of suggestions. “If Kiyoshi can use a portal to sneak you right behind the guard, would you be able to knock the guard out quickly? I can put up a barrier to block any sounds from escaping this corridor.”



 
橋本清
hashimoto kiyoshi
location
coffeeshop ; then the square
tags
ravyn xXx.lovely.xXx xXx.lovely.xXx ; usami nios nios ; elise Nano Nano ; everyone else
Kiyoshi was no stranger to opulence, not when his own family had been on this side of generously well-off, but the wealth that he'd grown up surrounded by was that of a subtler, more sophisticated slant. The luxury was in the finer details, not the more garish slap to the face that this hotel seemed to be. He'd spent the better part of his life knowing how to hold himself in this kind of company, and even so, he nearly balked at approaching the hotel now.

Still, there was a comfort to be drawn from not only having a purpose, and that purpose being to rescue a friend, but also being surrounded by people who had his back. A comfort and a dissonance alike, because he looked at the hotel's guests, at their glittering jewels and expensive clothes and cold eyes, and he rather thought they all seemed lonely. No amount of astronomical price tags and expensive hotel suites could really substitute for the cutting absence of genuine human connection. The Otherworlders stood out, because of the way they dressed and held themselves, but perhaps most primarily because they had each other.

His attention flitted upon the children who passed them as they entered the hotel — not because of the children themselves, necessarily, but because of their carefree conversation. Cleo's mind seemed to be much on the same track as his own, if the way her eyes followed them were any indicator.

Kiyoshi nearly jumped at the loud yell that echoed across the lobby. He looked over, masking a wince at the way the man grabbed a woman by her throat, and his instincts nearly led him to cross over to try and help. His efforts would have been wasted, however, considering that the security guards rushed on-scene and were handling it. Cleo seized the opportunity, gesturing for them to follow after her, and with one last look over his shoulder, Kiyoshi did so.

They, after all, had someone to rescue.

It wasn't long before they encountered their first obstacle, and Kiyoshi knew, with a bone-deep and weary certainty, that it likely wouldn't be their last. Ravyn took charge, and as he watched her flirt with the guard, his first thought was that this would not have been his strategy of choice — but he had no hopes of pulling an attempted seduction off, and if it worked, then it worked. Still, he was careful to keep an eye on her, in case the situation spun out of control and she needed a quick exit. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt attempting to create a distraction for the rest of them.

He divided his attention between Ravyn and Usami, when the dark-haired girl engaged him in conversation after a light tap with her staff. "Can't you get us behind the guard?" she whispered. Unconsciously, he leaned forward to hear her better — Usami usually spoke quietly, and he couldn't imagine that their sneaking around was doing any favors to encourage loudness. "Perhaps a portal... or something?"

Kiyoshi blinked, and then slid his gaze to the area behind the guard. He tilted his head consideringly — with their angle, it was a bit obscured, but it was doable. "I could," he said slowly. "But I'm unsure how far I'd be able to teleport us, and if it'd be enough to escape attention..." However convenient his power, he'd be the first to admit, and readily, that his portals were not the most inconspicuous thing in the world, especially if they needed to be large enough to fit people through.

"It is an excellent idea, though," Kiyoshi rushed to assure, in case Usami began to feel doubtful. It was an excellent idea, and one that she'd thought of so quickly, at that. "Any hesitations I have do not stem from your plan, but rather from my own abilities to carry it out. But I believe I can make it work."

Elise's idea built on the one that Usami had offered. This, perhaps, would be easier, in that the goal would be to portal just one of their group directly behind the guard to knock him out, rather than far enough way to avoid attention entirely. Kiyoshi inclined his head to show he was listening, and that he would be able to fulfill his role, but stayed quiet so that he wouldn't interrupt a question that had not been directed at him.
code by Nano Nano
 






Hanna Aldrin


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Location:
LAUTIN HOTEL, MAIN STREET, RAEVEDEL, PRAECES
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Hanna felt out of place stepping into such a fancy building. Everyone besides her friends were dressed in flashy cloths and wore expensive jewelry. Her casual day off had turned into a rescue mission, and honestly she hadn't the slightest clue how things had turned so sour so quickly. However, the silver lining of the day was the fact that she was carried twice in one day, something that would be burned into her memory for the rest of her days. Hanna pinched herself to remind her of the fact that one of her friends needed help before follower her group to actually see just how much shit Adrian got himself into.

"We really should have gotten some cloths to make us...not stand out so much." Hanna murmured to herself as she followed her fellow otherworlders. She smirked when Ravyn used her natural flirting skills to distract a guard. After sneaking past the first guard, the group was faced with another dilemma, yet another guard, and nobody to distract them.

Hanna heard the proposed plan, and for the most part agreed. "Yeah, it sounds like it'll work, if Fredi's not up to it then I can do it." Hanna offered.

 

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